Centre Elementary soccer team wins in Emporia
The Centre Elementary U-10 Tournament soccer team, who call themselves the Centre Cougars, won second place April 27 in the Boys' Recreational Division of the Chevy Cup at Emporia. You can only imagine the elation those 11 children felt as they proudly came home with their ribbons and medals.
Competing in a KSYSA tournament like this was something new and exciting for the youngsters. "We're going to be staying in a hotel," said Cole Svoboda, the first goalie, "with a pool and even a weight room — I'm going to the weight room first," he said with glee. And gleeful they were when they came home with a medal after playing Emporia.
The two-day tournament was a brand new experience for these young soccer players, all in the 4th grade. "Teams play in a pool and you have to win your pool in order to go on to the finals," said Kim Shields, who has coached these young players since they were in kindergarten. "Centre got a total of 18 points based on ties, shutout games, one win, and the number of goals they achieved," Kim explained, "and this left them playing Emporia to decide who got first place in the final games."
It was hard work, coming home with a second place medal. "The Cougars' played well, but by the time they came to the finals, our offensive line lacked the stamina to attack the goal as they had in previous games — we didn't have a lot of substitutes," said their coach, explaining why they came away with less than first place.
The Centre team grew out of these young soccer players wanting to compete with more teams other than just the league teams of Hope and Herington. It also came about because there are dedicated parents who are willing to support their children's athletic interests.
There are three competition levels in the KSYSA tournament: premier, competitive, and recreational divisions. The Cougars competed in the recreational division because this team does not hold tryouts. Anyone in the U-10 age group was offered the opportunity to play.
The Centre Cougars and their parents are excited about soccer! Plans are for the members of the team to compete in the "Got Milk" 3-on-3 competition in Wichita over Father's Day weekend. "One parent called me and said she already had four rooms reserved for the team in a hotel," said Coach Shields with a proud smile, "and we're not even officially in the tournament yet."
