Soccer NEW

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Soccer began in the Scottsbluff/Gering area in the spring of 1993, with 100 to 150 youth participating. Since then, the AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) program has grown to 800 to 950 youth. The AYSO is a nationwide non-profit organization that develops and delivers quality youth soccer programs in a fun, family environment based on AYSO's Five Philosophies:

Everyone Plays - The program's goal is for kids to play soccer - every player on every team must play at least half of every game.

Balanced Teams - Each year new teams are formed as evenly balanced as possible - because it is fair and more fun when teams of equal ability play.

Open Registration - The program is open to all children between 4 ½ and 19 years of age who want to register and play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only criteria for playing.

Positive Coaching - Encouragement of player effort provides for greater enjoyment by the players and ultimately leads to better-skilled and better-motivated players.

Good Sportsmanship - AYSO strives to create a positive environment based on mutual respect rather than a win-at-all costs attitude, and the program is designed to instill good sportsmanship in every facet of AYSO.

An eight field soccer complex is currently being built at the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue & 42nd Street in Scottsbluff. The City of Scottsbluff , Riverside Soccer Association, American Youth Soccer Association, Scottsbluff Public Schools , and Western Nebraska Community College are collaborating on this project. The complex has been named after Dr. Allan C. Landers, a long-time Scottsbluff physician and community leader.

In Gering, soccer fields are located in Oregon Trail Park .

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

AYSO - Call John Sherwood at (308) 623-2872 or visit www.scottsbluffsoccer.net

Gering - call (308) 436-5096

Northwood Park - Call (308) 630-6235

Riverside Soccer Association - Call (308) 632-2427

YMCA - Call (308) 635-2318

WNCC E-mail inquirers on the soccer program to Rick Carpenter at:

carpent4@wncc.net or phone (308) 635-6150.

The 2003-04 Season was the first year at Western Nebraska Community College for the soccer program.

SOCCER AT WESTERN NEBRASKA COMMUNITY COLLEGE! (WNCC)

WNCC Men's Soccer Team 2003-04

WNCC Women's Soccer Team 2003-04

Read About WNCC's New Soccer Program:

By MARK REIN (WNCC Reporter/Photographer)

For the Star-Herald 2003

Western Nebraska Community College will add soccer to its slate of athletics beginning next fall.

The WNCC Board of Governor's approved the go ahead Oct. 16 to add men's and women's soccer and

athletics director Mike Jones said soccer is the perfect fit with the increased interest in the sport.

"It is a great opportunity for WNCC," he said. "I think it will make a nice addition to Cougar athletics."

The idea of adding soccer came up a few years ago with the increased interest in the sport in the area.

"I believe the idea came up after an evaluation of the community and the Panhandle," Jones said. "It seems

that soccer is a sport that is growing here in the area and around the region. It seemed like the next step for

WNCC to bring soccer in."

Currently, Scottsbluff and Gering High schools field soccer teams in the spring. There are also around 900

youngsters involved in AYSO soccer in the region.

Jones said by adding soccer, it gives the area youngsters something to look forward in the future.

"We wanted to continue to give local athletes and athletes around the region, to keep growing both athletically

and academically," he said. "We saw men's and women's soccer being the next step for us to keep

improving , to improve the athletics department and keep going as an institution."

WNCC is already taking steps to get ready for the addition to the fall sports line up in 2003. WNCC will field

three teams in the fall next year - volleyball, and men's and women's soccer. The Cougar baseball and

softball teams will still operate a fall scrimmage season as well. Men's and women's basketball will play

during the winter season, while baseball and softball will take to the fields in the spring.

"Our falls will be extremely busy coming up," he said. "We are preparing for it right now and we won't be

surprised by any issues that may come up. We are taking care of all the preparations."

Jones said they are searching for a coach and asks that anyone with experience to coach at the collegiate

level should contact him at WNCC.

"Right now we are currently looking at all of our options for a soccer coach," he said. "If there is any one

interested or qualified to be a soccer coach at the collegiate level, we would definitely be interested in

( hearing from them)."

The soccer team will play and practice at the soccer complex that that the City of Scottsbluff is putting up

just north of 42nd and 5th avenue. WNCC, Scottsbluff High and AYSO teams will share the soccer complex.

Both sports will play during the fall season and play roughly a 17-20 game schedule. The team will play

junior colleges in Wyoming and Kansas , NAIA schools in Nebraska and club teams at the NCAA Division I

level , such as Wyoming , Colorado State , Colorado and Northern Colorado .

Jones said the travel would not be as extensive as once thought.

"After doing more research and finding a few more teams in the area to play, it doesn't seem like travel is as

much as we first thought it would be," he said. "There still will be some trips into Kansas to play against

some of the Region VI schools, where they all have men's and women's soccer. We can take a few week

end trips down into Kansas and then have them return trips up to Scottsbluff."

Western Wyoming Community College , Laramie County Community College , Northwest Wyoming and

Sheridan College all have soccer teams, either as a collegiate team or a club team. Central Wyoming College

in Riverton is also thinking about adding soccer next year.

WNCC will play a 17-20 games schedule beginning in the fall and wrapping up in November. This year's

NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national tournaments are scheduled for Nov. 21 in Tyler , TX

for the men and St. Louis, MO for the women.

Jones said right now the goal is to have 24 players for men's soccer and around 20 players for women's.

Many of the players will come from around the area.

"I believe they will compete pretty well," Jones said. "I believe with the success that we receive throughout

the entire athletic department, men's and women's soccer has an opportunity to be really successful."