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Friday, August 1, 2008
Getting a Kick out of Soccer
Eastern Oklahoma, OK
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Perseverance and a winning combination of agility and intelligence are the attributes necessary to become a truly great soccer player. The Hurricane Futball Club ‘92 team, coached by Kerry Shubert, possesses this combination of qualities without a doubt. After being named Oklahoma State Cup Champions for three years running, the talented team was rewarded with the opportunity to compete in a regional competition held in North Carolina. They proudly returned to Tulsa as 2008 Region III Quarter Finalists, defeated only 1-0 in a tough match against Sting, a team from North Texas, who went on to win the regional competition.
The HFC ‘92 team has now played together for six years, and players Bailey Boulware, Maggie Brady, Andrea Carlson, Sheema Golbaba, Hayley Harryman, Lauren Hauge, Kristen Kelley, Kelsey Killion, Jenifer LaCombe, Amy Petrikin, Caitlin Phillips, Abby Risner, Stephanie Romero, Alex Starrett, Claire Walker, Grace Walker, and Carley Yates are preparing to enter their junior and senior years in high school.
Players who are involved in club soccer are playing at an entirely different level of competition than those who play high school soccer only. The HFC ’92 team is composed of some of the most talented girls in the state from their age group, and at 17 years of age they have traveled across the nation to compete against the strongest players from the most talented teams in the U.S. The HFC ‘92 team was recently placed in the National League, which consists of the top eight teams in the country. In addition to this honor, the team is part of the Olympic Development Program and was named a State Select team. Both of these programs help to identify players of the highest caliber and talent that could be used on a U.S. National or Olympic team in the future.
Each of the eighteen girls also play soccer for their high school teams, including Jenks, Bishop Kelly, Holland Hall, Booker T. Washington, Edmond North, Mustang, and Clarksville. According to Shubert, the girls don’t play club soccer to prepare for high school. Instead, they have even higher hopes of being recruited to play in college.
Competitive play has enhanced the girls’ chances of getting scholarships by exposing them to college scouts and coaches from all over the nation. Prestigious universities like Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Southern Methodist, Santa Clara, California, Kansas, and Missouri have already expressed interest in the girls. The players will be excited to see their hard work pay off within the next year as they are now old enough for universities to begin contacting them directly.
For the girls, club soccer comes first, but being involved in a high school sport has provided them with an energetic and social atmosphere that encourages them to continue having fun. Kerry says that the girls are “all business” when they come to club practice, so the school spirit provided by high school soccer gives the girls outside support that enables them to hold more productive, more strenuous practices. The girls have had to learn how to keep their involvement in two teams separate. On occasion, girls from two different schools have been matched in a state championship one night, and then come to club practice to work as teammates the next morning.
Apart from soccer, the girls have placed high importance on academic achievement. The team holds a 3.6 overall GPA, and many of the girls are straight-A students that take honors classes. Shubert stresses the importance of academic achievement in hopes that he will soon see the girls gain both academic scholarship in addition to athletic scholarship for their futures at universities across the country.
The first word out of Kerry’s mouth when asked what lessons team-play teaches was dedication. The girls have learned to work hard on self-improvement by practicing, working out, attending personal training, and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle on their own. They have learned that nothing comes easy, and that work may not show benefit for a long stretch of time. Showing their dedication to the team, four of the girls travel from Oklahoma City and one travels from Arkansas for each practice, taking four and five hour round-trips. With over 3,000 teams of the same age in the country, the girls must be self-motivated in order to be noticed.
In addition to coaching award-winning club teams, Kerry Shubert promotes community interest in soccer by working as the general manager of SoccerCity in Tulsa. SoccerCity was opened in July of 2005 when Kerry and investors became dedicated to opening a first class soccer facility. From the fields to the concession stand to the restrooms, they worked hard to create a top-notch center and the community has embraced their efforts.
As the general manager of SoccerCity, Kerry oversees all ages and avenues of soccer play. SoccerCity brings in around 120,000 people per year, serving as the only indoor facility in Tulsa. It provides a Lil’ Kicker program for children 18 months to 9 years old, caters to the needs of club teams, hosts nearly 300 teams in the winter, and plays 120 adult teams year-round, including 40 teams for adults that have never played before.
SoccerCity’s growth and success does not stop there, however. With the World Cup just ending and the Olympics about to begin, Shubert has seen an increased interest in the sport. The Tulsa Revolution recently began utilizing the facility, and having a professional team that gathers around 1,000 fans per game has encouraged both kids and adults to play. Kerry hopes for the facility to become a multi-purpose establishment by starting flag football and dodgeball teams in the near future. He also hopes to put more energy into the Lil’ Kickers and to eventually add a 3rd field within the complex.
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10 THINGS YOU MUST DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL (cont.)
by: Dr. Roy Pinder, DM
In the previous article I discussed the first three of ten keys to being successful. The first three keys to success are:
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What did you do for summer vacation, or what do you wish you had done? ...
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A collection of this month's best action photos.
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