Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
LARWILL - Whitko Soccer Club's goal is to have soccer at Whitko Schools IHSAA sanctioned as soon as possible.
Monday, representatives of the soccer club gave the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of Trustees a presentation on the progress of the soccer club.
Afterwards, school board president Dave Tranter told them the next phase for the club is to meet with athletic director Fred Fields and work on the "how" and "when" of turning the club into an IHSAA-sanctioned sport at Whitko. The board is behind them.
"We've put you off long enough," said Tranter.
Marlene Mishler made the bulk of the presentation to the school board. She said the club's concern is that they are struggling along with other team sports to find continuity with administrators and the athletic department. "We feel last year we treaded water," she said.
Twenty-five students at the high school level continue to work at the sport. Mishler asked, "Can we work this program like they're working the cross country program?" The cross country program remains IHSAA-sanctioned while having volunteer coaches.
She invited the board to one of the team's home matches. The high school plays at 5:15 p.m. Thursday against Southwood and Sept. 28 at 5:15 p.m. against Rochester. The middle school plays Sept. 25 at 10 a.m., Sept. 27 at 5:15 p.m. and Oct. 4 at 5:15 p.m. All home matches are at Whitko Middle School field.
"Their commitment is to be applauded with all the time they put in, especially the seniors ... ," said Mishler.
Whitko Soccer Club began in spring 2002. The board approved for the club to use the corporation's facilities. During the spring and fall 2002 soccer seasons for the high school and middle school, approximately 50 students participated. Winter indoor soccer 2003-04 was played at Tacumwah, Fort Wayne. In fall 2003, the high school had approximately 10 games while the middle school had about seven. For fall 2004, the high school has a schedule of eight games with several pending while the middle school has seven scheduled and several pending.
The new coaches this year include Nat Raber, assisted by Dave Rhodes, at the high school. Pierceton Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Tonya Wike, assisted by parent Greg Delgado, coaches for the middle school.
Mishler said they talked with other administrators in the Three Rivers Conference, to which Whitko belongs, and "they know soccer is coming."
She said, "We are all sort of connected here, all cheering and supporting each other."
According to information provided by Mishler, soccer is the fastest growing sport in the United States, including Indiana. Of the 392 schools that participate in the IHSAA sanctioning, 256 schools have a boys or coed program and 215 have a girls program. Soccer is second only to basketball in Indiana.
"We feel this is a coming sport, opportunity," said Mishler.
Wike said, "We have had such a strong participation from fifth-graders" this year. At the last minute, she said, they opened up the soccer program to the fifth-graders and have about 15 participating.
After Tranter told the club to go forward, Mishler said, "That sounds wonderful and we'll be on it like a soccer ball."
Tranter said it would be nice if they could have something in place by next fall, but it has to go through the athletic department.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Dave Tranter, Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Pete Mitchell and Michael Braddock. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month.
