Loss of soccer hurts UNM, state

THE DISCONTINUATION of UNM’s men’s soccer program — one of the nation’s most successful — is doing immeasurable harm. I know this because I am a product of N.M. youth soccer. I had a ball at my feet, and eventually in my hands — I was a goalkeeper, from the age of 5 onward. I’ve played on every field in New Mexico, and I was pretty good. My teams won state championships, we competed against the best in the nation, and we won much more than we lost. I was also successful in school. I was proud to be one of Eldorado High School’s valedictorians in 2001. By the time I was a senior in high school, I entertained offers to play from schools across the nation, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale and where I ended up, Trinity University.

The school I did not consider? UNM. And I wasn’t unique. None of my teammates did. Rather, they were recruited to and ended up at places like UConn, Creighton, SMU, Illinois and Fort Lewis. That dynamic changed around 2002, when UNM’s current coach, Jeremy Fishbein, made a concerted effort to recruit N.M. players. By my junior year in college, guys I played with were transferring back. A few years later, UNM lost a heartbreaker in the national championship. They’ve been to the tournament 11 of the past 15 years.

If success is the correct measure, then the men’s soccer program should not be cut. It’s one of UNM’s most successful programs. By any other measure, the program should be even safer. The program attracted and retained students. It added to the social environment, it created pride and served as a phenomenal advertisement. It also, obviously, attracted phenomenal athletes who will call New Mexico home. These are disciplined, hard-working, team-oriented and creative individuals. All of these are attributes any state wants in its citizens.

Without UNM soccer, the school sacrifices one of its best advertisements and hurts its existing students. Talented players and societal contributors move away. Take my word for it: I’m now a proud resident of San Antonio, Texas.

MATTHEW PEPPING San Antonio, Texas