How the women's soccer club built a team from nothing

By Matt Gunn
gunnma@mscd.edu

Building a program from scratch is one of the challenges facing students who participate in club sports. One group took the challenge this fall and formed Auraria's first women's club soccer team.

The team submitted its registration too late to receive funding from the Metro Intercollegiate Athletics, but they continued anyway, and pulled together enough money to get through the fall season.

"We were a little bit disorganized this year, but we're trying to build it up for next year," Metro freshman Nicky Dudek said. "It was all about seeing how it would all work out and just have fun with it."

The team plays a nearly constant schedule, and is planning to participate in an indoor league between semesters before the spring season begins in March.

The soccer club also plans on hosting a soccer camp next summer.

The program is gaining support from athletics and outside donors and plans further fundraising to help take care of uniforms, travel and other expenses.

Auraria's newest soccer team has also benefited from the soccer tradition started by Metro.

"Because it's so competitive, and it's just Metro on the campus, there are good players who want to play," the club's head coach Brian Stanford said.

The team approaches its games with that same competitive fire.

"It's fun, but it's serious at the same time," UCD student Simone Verhulst said. "It's not just a recreational league; we're trying to build something as well."

Building the team is a constant theme among current players.

Though they are losing only one teammate to a cross-country move, club founder Sarah Jeffries, the women's soccer club is looking for fresh talent for the future.

"It's really good for people who played in high school and didn't want to commit to a varsity team," UCD sophomore Alli Rastrelli said.

The club offers fun and recreation, along with good competition. The team plans on traveling to tournaments and schools across the region next year.

With their achievements on the field, the women are starting the Sarah Jeffries Award, which will honor commitment to the program, on and off the field.

The award will hang in the Auraria Event Center and will stand as a testament that club sports are a vital part of campus life.

For more information about the Auraria women's soccer club contact Christa Hills at (303) 898-3672.