Southridge soccer lacks legs
What looked like a promising buildup for soccer fans in the Southwest Dubois County School District turned out to be a missed opportunity. “Two years ago there was traction,” said Southwest Dubois School Corporation Superintendent Terry Enlow, talking about adding soccer as a varsity sport, “But we haven’t heard or seen anything for a while now.”
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“We’re not going to start a soccer team today or tomorrow without going through the process of building a viable program first,” explained Enlow. “We are open to the idea of having varsity soccer at Southridge, but we’ll need to take the proper steps, just like the supporters of football did at Forest Park a few years ago.”
The process Enlow refers to includes having youth recreational leagues, having soccer at the middle school level, and building a group of parents and other soccer advocates who would help shepherd the program in its early years.
Jasper High School varsity soccer coach Kyle Kendall supports the idea of having soccer at Southridge. “It would only add to the great rivalries we have in other sports,” said Kendall. “I know they have some talented athletes there who would love to play soccer for their school and community.”
Antonio Gil, a Huntingburg resident, noted, “You know how popular soccer is within the Hispanic (community); who do we need to talk with to get the team?”
Huntingburg’s Hispanic population now constitutes 17% of the total population in the Patoka Township according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
Kendall said there was a lot more than just talk a few years ago. “They had a team playing at the middle school level and planned to start a JV team the following year. But then a key organizer of the program moved out of the community and it all just evaporated. They really need a new champion who can start from scratch.”
Superintendent Enlow even took steps to incorporating a soccer progam, “We were thinking ahead; we went so far as ticking the new turf football field for soccer so we would be ready just in case.”
For now, Southridge athletes who want to play soccer will need to find recreational leagues or travel teams. Jasper Youth Soccer is receiving registration forms until September 10th for their “DC United” U11-U14 travel teams, for boys and girls. For more information click here.
But the outlook for varsity soccer at Southridge High School isn’t so clear. There’s a desire for soccer in the community and school officials seem more than open to entertaining the prospect.
“It’s almost like a penalty kick with an open net,” said Kendall, “They just need a captain to step up and get the ball across the line.”
Southridge Athletics Director Bret Bardwell was unavailable for comment.
