Clear Creek Amana Middle School boys soccer players warm up for their soccer game against Vernon Middle School on the Marion High School field Tuesday. This is the first year that Clear Creek Amana Middle School has offered a soccer program for boys and girls. (Nick Rollman/The Gazette)
TIFFIN — Amira Ibrahim, a student at Clear Creek Amana Middle School, likes to stay active by joining the school's basketball, swim and volleyball teams.
But Amira, 14, an eighth-grader, found her “favorite sport'' when her middle school added girls' soccer and boys' soccer to its athletic program for the first time this spring.
Clear Creek-Amana Middle School girls soccer coach Megan Johnson spoke to her players Tuesday during a soccer game against Vernon Middle School on the Marion High School field. (Nick Rollman/The Gazette)
“The coaches are great and it's great to play outside, especially in the rain and with great teammates by your side. When you really love a sport, you love everything that comes with it. It will happen,” Amira said.
There has been a “request” for several years to add a soccer program to Clear Creek Amana Middle School's already robust athletic menu, said Regan Stone, the school's vice principal and activities director. The survey found that at least 50 students would be interested in participating in the sport if it were offered.
“We also found that we were getting responses from kids from different backgrounds and cultures, who maybe weren't interested in the current sport, but they were interested in soccer. ,” Stone said.
Soccer is played by over 250 million people in over 200 countries and is the most popular sport in the world. The sport is watched by about 3.5 billion people, according to Statista, a global research and analysis firm.
Stone said the middle school had 50 boys and 30 girls participating in soccer in its first season. “This justifies our decision to add it and shows that we needed it,” he said.
Clear Creek Amana Community School District participates in the Wamac Conference and includes Benton, Center Point Urbana, Grinnell, Independence, Marion Independent, Mount Vernon, Solon, Vinton-Shellsburg, and West Delaware schools. , Williamsburg and South Tama schools.
Stone said the middle school has “more students participating” in conferences for all sports than any other school. For example, in the fall of 2023, approximately 100 kids were playing soccer, 100 kids were playing volleyball, and 35 kids were competing in cross country. “This is his 235 out of 700 students,” he said.
The school also involves high school students in programs such as band and choir, school plays and after-school clubs, Stone said.
“Our kids really want to be active and proactive,” he said.
Clear Creek Amana Middle School boys soccer players warm up before their soccer game against Vernon Middle School on Tuesday at Marion High School. Clear His Creek At Amana Middle School, approximately 50 boys and 30 girls participated in soccer in the first season. (Nick Rollman/The Gazette)
By having students participate in team sports, Stone said, they can build lasting friendships, develop communication skills, feel a sense of community and learn responsibility. However, finding a coach can be difficult for some of these programs.
Although Clear Creek Amana Middle School is not short on coaches this year, Stone recalled years when it struggled to fill positions after coaches left for other opportunities.
Some middle school coaches teach or work on staff at middle schools, high schools or elementary schools within the district, but they do not have to already be on staff in the district to coach, he said. .
A license is required to coach middle school and high school athletics in Iowa, according to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. The coach has a high school diploma or equivalent and has completed a concussion training certificate, CPR training, and her 55-hour workshop certificate from an approved provider or university course. She must be 18 years old Must be greater than or equal to
This course, which must be paid for by the applicant, includes the structure and function of the human body, sports injury prevention and care, human growth and development, and the ethics of coaching. Cedar Rapids-based Kirkwood Community College offers courses for $395.
During his teaching career, Mr. Stone has coached high school football and track and field, and middle school basketball and baseball. Currently, he coaches his children's youth team.
“It's one of my favorite parts of the day,” Stone said. “I forgot how much I missed coaching until I started coaching kids' youth teams. It's a 'lights on' moment. It’s even more rewarding when you can get your own kids involved in it too. ”
Students may begin playing school-sanctioned sports in seventh grade, according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Federation.
In middle school, coaches do their best to give all students the opportunity to play competitively. For larger teams, students are divided into “A” and “B” teams during the match. Stone said if students have not yet had a chance to play in a game, they will scrimmage with each other.
“Anyone who went to see it will tell you it was the best part of the night. Our 'A' and 'B' kids stuck around there and cheered like crazy. , I'm hooked. “It’s the wildest part of the night,” he said.
Megan Johnson, one of the middle school girls soccer coaches, is a fourth grade teacher at Clear Creek Elementary School. She enjoys getting to know soccer players, seeing their personalities shine through, and watching their skills improve.
“It's a really good group. They've all been good role models, they've shown up, they've worked hard, they've learned a lot. We've grown a lot. “I didn't know about it,” Johnson said.
Clearcreek-Amana Middle School girls soccer coach Megan Johnson high-fives Teran Bishop during a soccer game against Vernon Middle School on the Marion High School field Tuesday. (Nick Rollman/The Gazette)
Declan Brogue, one of the boys' soccer coaches at the middle school and a seventh-grade math teacher, said that middle school coaches teach students how to work well with other students and “don't worry about losses or goals that come your way.” ” to teach them how to handle it.
“I'm not just coaching them to be successful soccer players,” Brogue said.
Elizabeth Randall, 13, an eighth-grader at Clear Creek Amana Middle School, said the program helped her build friendships, teach her how to work with other athletes and prepare her for a more competitive environment in high school. He said he is doing so.
Seventh grader Ella Otto, 12, said she had never played soccer before this year, but participated to spend time with friends. She likes being “active” on the field, and participating in sports helps her stay focused in school, she said.
Yol Tetevlu, 13, a seventh-grader on the boys' soccer team who has played soccer most of his life, said he enjoys being able to help his peers who have never played soccer before.
“If they get better, the team is successful,” he said.
Yol plays defensive midfielder. “I'm in the middle of the field, so I get a lot of passes and I have some chances to score. I make assists and help other people score, and I like that too.” he said.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
