Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
PIERCETON - Soccer's popularity in Indiana is growing.
The push for an Indiana High School Athletic Association-sanctioned soccer program at Whitko School Corp. also is growing.
Monday, Whitko Athletic Director Nicholas Eccles and several soccer parents spoke to the school board about soccer in the Whitko school system.
Eccles said three schools in Whitko's conference - Three Rivers Conference - have soccer, while three others have club soccer. The past year was Whitko's first year for club soccer.
Soccer is coming, he said. It's one of the biggest growing sports in Indiana. Eventually, Whitko will have soccer as an IHSAA sport.
Whitko's soccer program could be held at the Whitko Middle School field or the school corporation could purchase or lease a centrally located field.
The soccer parents, Eccles said, want soccer to become IHSAA sanctioned now, but he said he told them to wait another year to see the numbers interested in soccer and to give club soccer one more year.
Marlene Mishler, a soccer mom, said the soccer program has been very productive in the past year. There are 50 to 60 students involved in soccer at the middle school and high school level. Twenty-nine have registered for spring soccer, and 30 students at the high school were at the call-out and said they want to play soccer in the fall. She said these numbers mean students want another sport option.
"We believe soccer, the world's game, is on its way to Whitko," she said.
Besides student participation, parents have been very involved with club soccer, and other club soccer programs and schools, including Grace College, have lent their support. Whitko Club Soccer also has received grant money for the soccer program and held many fund-raisers and received several donations.
One set of soccer goals has been built and 52 to 60 uniforms have been purchased.
"We feel we have a lot of talent," said Mishler. "We have kids that have played since they were little."
In other business, the school board:
• Approved the discontinuation of the Whitko Alternative Program at the end of the current school year due to budgetary concerns. The program will continue to be evaluated by the new administration.
• Approved the summer learning program recommendations.
• Approved the North Central Indiana Cooperative Joint Services Agreement.
• Approved the drainage project at Pierceton Elementary School as presented, contingent upon the payment of the project expenses by the school's PTO.
• Approved the 2004 baccalaureate for May 27 at 7:30 p.m., and the 2004 commencement for May 28 at 7:30 p.m.
• Reappointed Robert Tenney to a four-year term with the Pierceton-Washington Township Library Board.
• Heard a presentation from Rhonda Graney, Pierceton Elementary School counselor, and two students on the student council activities for the school year. The council will be named an honor council by the Indiana Department of Education Division of Student Activities, Association of Indiana Councils.
To be recognized as an honor council, the council had to participate in several different service activities and projects.
• Heard a report from Whitko High School student Matthew Metzger, representing the Whitko FFA chapter, that this upcoming year will be the 75th anniversary of the state FFA and he is on the committee to plan the celebration of the anniversary.
• Heard a report from the Pierceton Elementary PTO president that the organization held two fund-raisers this year and raised approximately $10,000.
• Approved the payment of $3,200 to NiBlock Excavating Inc. to finish the tennis courts and a $4,200 payment to DEYO Associates for the appraisal of all the corporation's assets for insurance purposes as required by the state.
• Heard PES is celebrating Earth Week this week; April 29-30 is Special Notes for Special People days; and May 13 is a Patriotic Program.
• Heard the book fair at South Whitley Elementary School is this week during school hours, and family hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday; the school's carnival is May 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Heard Whitko Middle School's midterm ends April 29; May 3 is the Academic Superbowl at Indian Springs; May 20 is the academic awards for sixth and seventh grades; and May 16 will be the dedication of the school's drive as the Mark Skiles Run at 2:15 p.m.
• Heard that May 23 is the FFA banquet at Whitko High School; prom is May 3 at Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw; and the high school's play "Arsenic and Old Lace" is May 16-17.
• Heard that Georgia Tenney, WMS head secretary, was selected as the Office Professional of the Year by the Indiana Association of Educational Office Professionals.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Pete Mitchell, E. Marie Trump, Hal Trump, Dave Tranter and Michael Braddock. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month in the administration office, Pierceton.
