There is no denying the continuous growth in the popularity of soccer in the United States. Every four years, thousands of soccer fans are born as America competes in the World Cup. Many of those fledgling fans latch onto Major League Soccer, the rapidly-expanding American soccer league.
Hillsdale has no shortage of soccer enthusiasts. Take a walk down to the intramural fields and the odds are you will find a pick-up game being played or the men’s or women’s club soccer team practicing. Or just take a peek inside the TV room in the Union to see students spending their free time playing the soccer video game FIFA 15.
Hillsdale boasts seven men’s and seven women’s Division II varsity sports. We should add men’s and women’s soccer to those lists.
The real question here should not be “Why?” but, “Why not?” Is there any reason why should Hillsdale not create men’s and women’s varsity soccer teams?
Currently, the Hillsdale men’s and women’s soccer teams compete at the club level. They have full squads, play on the IM fields, and enjoy small but dedicated and knowledgeable crowds at their home games.
Possible worries over attendance should not be the issue. Any Charger athlete can speak to playing in front of a sparse home crowd, and several varsity sports do not attract many students as it is.
The men’s club soccer team has drawn over 100 people to games even without the recognition of being a varsity sport.
Attendance would only increase if the teams were promoted to the varsity level, adding another positive facet to student life at Hillsdale.
Creating varsity soccer teams would not require any additional stadium construction on campus. The IM fields are in good enough condition to be used as a varsity soccer field.
While Hillsdale would have to set aside money for coaching staffs and possibly scholarships, the benefits of having a varsity soccer team outweigh the costs, because leaving Hillsdale soccer at the club level hurts the college’s recruitment.
There have been cases of quality men and women who would fit perfectly at Hillsdale College ultimately decide against becoming a Charger because they would be unable to play soccer at the varsity level. The sibling of a friend of mine recently decided against coming to Hillsdale in large part because of the lack of a varsity soccer team, and several people on the current club teams very nearly went to other schools to play varsity soccer.
Forming varsity soccer teams would remove this issue and strengthen Hillsdale’s recruitment.
The conference that Hillsdale athletic teams compete in, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, already has a men’s varsity soccer league with eight schools competing and a women’s league boasting 13 schools.
Hillsdale’s club teams are already competitive. The men’s team finished second in the College Club League last season, losing on penalty kicks in the championship game. On Friday, they travelled to Northwood University to take on their varsity team.
The dedication that Hillsdale’s soccer athletes show indicates they want to play at the varsity level. Many Hillsdale students care about soccer. The GLIAC already has a league and Hillsdale already has the field. All that’s left is for the Hillsdale Athletic Department to give the thumbs up.
Soccer’s popularity in the United States continues to grow. It’s time for Hillsdale to recognize its popularity and create varsity soccer teams.
