The Communique

Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Chase Belicka Vadim Biten, Dental major, takes control of the ball while Brett VanDevente, Education major, defends during a club practice. "I played here last year and I did pretty good," said Biten. VanDevente attended his first meeting Monday. "I hadn't played in so long and I missed it," said VanDevente. Soccer club practices are on Mondays at 3:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.

Every Monday and Thursday behind the baseball diamonds, a group of students play an energetic game of soccer during Soccer Club practice.

The club has been active since last January and is a co-ed team. "Any Kirkwood student is welcome to join," said Jim Off, the coach of the Soccer Club. "It's kind of a loose organization. Players can come and go."

Practices involve no fitness training; players come at the designated times, organize into two teams and play. Off said that this fall the team is trying to focus on giving players a time to play.

Besides regular practices, the Soccer Club plans to play in about two to four select games which coach Off invites players from the club to participate in. Off said these select games provide players a chance to participate in games with a higher level of competition.

In January and February Off said he plans to create a team to play in an indoor league, which will last six weeks and have one game a week.

The club has approximately 15 to 20 people at a practice, although the number of people who have shown interest according to coach Off is greater than 50.

The club played on Oct. 7 against the Cedar River Soccer Association at Kirkwood and today they will compete against Cedar Rapids United at the Tuma Soccer Complex.

The club does more than just practice. On Sept. 23 coach Off and about 19 others took a Kirkwood bus to Chicago to watch a professional soccer match between the Chicago Fire and D.C. United.

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