Soccer Games Begin In Lincoln

LINCOLN —A joint agreement last year between the city of Lincoln and Lincoln Consolidated School District resulted in a community recreational/ health grant and the development of a youth soccer program, which had city and school officials working through the spring and summer months to get this first- ever program going.

The Lincoln City Council and school board agreed in December 2012 to enter a joint agreement.

Rebecca Pugh, school district grant coordinator, sent an application to the Arkansas Department of Education for a grant to fund a city soccer league for girls and boys.

Adrian Risley, information technology director of the school district, introduced it to the board.

Rhonda Hulse, city grant writer and office manager, worked with Pugh on the details of the joint- use cooperative agreement and the ADE approved the grant earlier this year.

Pugh and Hulse received the grant because of state money for health issues such as childhood obesity.

Risley said a soccer league would help with childhood obesity.

“It would be a wonderful thing to bring balance with activity and exercise to help with obesity,” Risley said.

“Soccer is a very strenu- ous sport. Especially with younger kids, I think it is the perfect way to get involved, because they stay involved in the game the entire time they’re on the field. You will also see that it helps the aerobic fitness in the kids playing it,” said Paul Crouch, coordinator for the youth soccer league.

Terms of the agreement began in February and will continue for one year, then be renewed on an annual basis, according to city council and school board documents. Joint use of school district property began last month with the school district continuing to have exclusive use of district property for public school and school related activities.

The city developed a schedule for the soccer games and will be entitled to use of district property, following all district rules and regulations.

Both the school district and the city will maintain records of cost associated with the joint agreement.

A result of all the hard work done by both district and city officials can be seen this Saturday at the old Lincoln High football field. Games are set for 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. with 68 children, ages 4-9 years, signed up to play soccer, according to Crouch.

Games will be the same time on Saturdays with an exception of Oct. 5 afternoon games.

Crouch believes success from the U. S. mens’ and womens’ national teams reflects greatly on youth soccer.

“Every four years [World Cup] you see a spike in interest in soccer. When we hosted the World Cup in 1994, the sport really blew up in America,” Crouch said. “Over the past few years, we are seeing another leap in the sport’s popularity, and I think a big part of that is coming from not only the improvements made by our national team, but also the MLS [ Major League Soccer].

The response has drawn 68 kids to the soccer program this year in three age categories ( U6, U8, U10) and Crouch forsees future growth.

“My vision is to add on a new age classification every year. In time, the program will feed itself, and hopefully reach all the way to the high school.”