The goal: A Hall soccer team

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SPRING VALLEY — It looked like the ball might have been heading out of bounds on Hall High School’s fledgling soccer team, but the school board managed to nudge it back in ... at least for this fall. In June 2007, the board approved adding soccer as an intramural co-ed sport, but in September 2007, Hall athletic director Gary Vicini said the program had been discontinued due to low numbers.

Vicini said the fall-off in numbers was not due to a lack of scheduled matches, but not all the board agreed. The board approved trying soccer again in the fall of 2008, and directed Vicini to schedule six JV games for the fall.

The numbers this fall have once again been lower than hoped for, and a small group of soccer supporters attended Wednesday’s board meeting to try and prevent another cancellation.

Shawn Russell, who has been acting soccer coach, said he has 20 students out for the sport, and called it the next natural step for the 300 youth enrolled in Midwest Youth Soccer League in the city.

“We’ve got a pretty good youth program going, and we’ve got a lot of support at the younger levels; so I think it’s time now that we just step up to the high school and get a program going here at the school,” he said.

Russell said he’s been adding players through word of mouth, and they’re ready to play.

“I think we can have a lot of fun with this, and hopefully go on to be a be more competitive,” he said.

Ramey Lovelady, a Midwest Soccer League Board member, said part of the reason numbers were low was because of uncertainty after last year’s cancellation.

“There’s a lot of ‘Is it really going to happen this year?’ going on,” she said. “Kids don’t want to give up something else if it’s not.”

Board President Todd Fanning said he was in favor of continuing the program but was extremely disappointed in the lack of a push by the soccer group.

“This board’s commitment was evident,” he said. “But no one really stepped up and said, ‘We’re going to do this.’”

Lovelady agreed that the soccer committee should have pushed more but said there were unmet expectations on both sides.

Midwest board member Todd Heinecke agreed and said there was no equipment or anything available at the school for the program.

“We didn’t have a lot of backing from Hall to push the program,” he said. “It didn’t seem like we had very much help putting it together from Hall.

Hall board member Dale Pienta was unconvinced.

“I’m hearing the same record I heard a year ago,” he said.

Pienta asked what would happen if enough players didn’t show up for a game.

“What does that say about Hall High School in the eyes of the community?” he said in a loud voice.

Superintendent Mike Struna said he had worked together with Russell since May. A flyer was sent out to all the students about the program, but a planned summer soccer camp “fizzled out” anyway.

Struna said at the mandatory fall sports night, which was attended by 13 soccer players, he and Russell told the students the program was in limbo. Struna said he did not dispute Russell’s claim of 20 students, but that 14 students were at practice on Monday, 13 on Tuesday, and 16 on Wednesday.

“That’s where it’s at,” he said.

After the discussion, a motion to continue the program passed on a 4-3 vote, with Fanning and board members Sue Nolasco, Holly Flanagan and Betsy Resetich voting in favor, and Pienta, Jack Boroski and John Andes opposed.

Fanning said the vote should settle the question as to whether the program would be held.

“I would fully expect, now that the board of education has approved, 100 percent cooperation from the administration,” he said.

Heinecke then said the league would purchase the soccer balls to get the program going, but Fanning told him it wasn’t necessary.

“There’s no basketball organization donating basketballs, and no football organization donating footballs,” he said. “If it’s Hall’s team, Hall should provide the equipment.”