MHCC should consider the beautiful game

Mt. Hood has featured quite a few accomplished sports programs. For example, last May, Saints softball won the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) championship – for the fourth time in six years.

I believe there’s one sport missing that could do MHCC a real service. However, it’s the sport I hear people whisper about during class.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and it’s making its mark on the sports scene in the U.S. Though it is often perceived as an un-American sport, soccer might help bring about the intercultural relationships and diversity some have been seeking to build here at MHCC. What I like to call “egg ball” (American football) might be a little too much to ask for, cost-wise, but if there’s one sport that Mt. Hood has the means to squeeze into the budget, it should be soccer.

The NWAC does offer soccer; it’s just that MHCC hasn’t fielded a team yet. Maybe it’s because MHCC feels there won’t be enough people interested. If that’s the case, I have something else to suggest.

I understand that even soccer might be difficult to afford, even though it is cheaper than most sports. When I attended Portland Lutheran High School, there was no official school soccer team, per se, but we did join the Eastside Timbers recreational club, as our own team.

If we are to consider a team at MHCC, I think club would be the route to go. There would be no games interfering with the college play fields, because games would be played elsewhere. There’s a flat fee for everyone to join, and most equipment would be bought by individual players. Players who join would probably either have their own equipment or wouldn’t mind purchasing their own boots, balls, shin guards, etc.

The point isn’t to make soccer one of the main sports at MHCC. The point is to unite students who share the love of the beautiful game, to connect students from all around the world who share an understanding and heritage of soccer. Right now, there is a soccer class, but a club would provide a more dynamic, competitive experience.

I think we need to try a soccer club and see how it works. If it catches fire, we could always create a “real” team. Plus, I’d really fancy wearing a red-and-black scarf.

Advocate Staff