Editor:
Mike Zimmerman
After 9 years of looking inside from the outside of high school sports, a group of parents have continually tried to bring soccer ( True Futbol ) into the high school arena. Something that the whole world has enthusiasm for in their daily life, and a sport that continues to grow in the United States. This is evident in the 8 soccer-specific stadiums that have been erected since 1999, with 12 more on the board. These don't include any of the minor league stadiums that have been around much longer. So you might say, how does this affect small towns in the USA? Anyone that passes by a park in many communities can see many of today's younger athletes, children of all shapes, sizes, and both genders, competing in recreational soccer. Many of them thriving in a sport that some believe isn't one. Personally, I wasn't lucky enough to have soccer at Morton High School here in Illinois. I played baseball; I guess you'd say I lived baseball. Actually getting to play at the college level at a NAIA school (and I was a Physics major); I loved it that much to keep playing after High School. But after the school's scholarship goalie went down with his 4th knee injury, I tried out on a bet, or I'd say a dare. You see I liked to dive for the baseball when playing right field, so it made sense to some of my friends that I should play keeper. So I changed sports, something I had done since the age of 8 years old was replaced by 'the beautiful game'. Athletics inside and outside of school does make a difference. Learning the game to play it well, training to get the most out of your body and mind, and becoming part of a team. I'm afraid that if you surveyed many of today's business managers; asking them if they had two identical resumes, one with an athletic team background and one without any history of team sports. Which one would they choose?
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This is why after all the years of confronting the two local school boards with petitions, statistics, budgets, and request for surveys; the parents of some very dedicated soccer players have formed the MidState Stars Soccer Club. For those children who have developed into talented soccer players and have had no high school program to support. We've seen and are seeing many young gifted athletes with the potential for a college scholarship, and that is what we are about. Giving kids a chance to work for their goals in a team atmosphere, by providing the understanding and training they need to succeed. So whether sports are part of the school system or not, we as parents have to realize that without team sports (the sports our children want to play, and not the sports that the parents want them to play) there will always be one characteristic lacking that would of made our children a better adult. The understanding of how to work with a group for one common goal, and what it truly means to be successful from hard work. Anyway, in most countries around the world, sports aren't integrated with the schools systems. They are all Clubs, supported by it's members, sponsors, and fans.
Mr. Zimmerman is manager of the
MidState Stars Soccer Club
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