“I didn’t even know if it was like true, if it was like real life.” These were the words varsity girls soccer captain Ashly Serres used to describe the team’s first goal. In the first year of the school soccer program, goals are huge successes for both girls’ and boys’ teams. It took time to get the teams started, but now they have people that have been excited to support the program.

It all started with the varsity boys’ soccer coach,  Adam Rueger. Mr. Rueger contacted the parents, all of whom showed strong support for a traveling team. The boys enjoyed playing so much that they and their families decided to bring the idea of soccer becoming a school sport to activities director Jake Winchell. They “came to us with this plan that would cost the school hardly any money.” It was brought before the school board and according to Winchell “they loved the idea.” The soccer program was passed for a two year trial by the school board on May 20, 2013.

So far, it seems they have nothing to regret. As Varsity girls’ soccer Coach Anne Davisson said, “people have been so very supportive.” Even though people thought that the program would take away from other sports, Winchell clarifies that “looking at the teams, it’s a small handful who played other sports.” In fact many of the players didn’t participate in a fall sport before soccer. Even though many hadn’t played a sport before, or maybe because of this, winning their first game was a major accomplishment for both teams. When talking about the boys’ team’s first win, Adam Rueger  remarked “I know some schools I talk to like New Prague, when they first started their program they went four seasons without a win. That’s a long time to go to a win. So we got that out of the way.”

Davisson describes the season as “empowering”, Boys soccer captain Beau Rueger as “exhilarating” and Serres as “amazing.” Even though it doesn’t seem like “real life.”

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