WEBER COUNTY, Utah — Middle school soccer is a unique experience for students in the Weber School District, said Steven Barrera, wide receivers and defensive backs coach at South Ogden Middle School.
“It's really part of the culture here in Weber County that so many people come to watch games,” he said. We come here at 2 p.m. and once school is over, we see everyone coming to watch the game, and it's great to see. ”
After forming the committee this fall, the district determined that a steady decline in interest proved the program was unsustainable, said Lane Findlay, a community relations and safety specialist. .
“We had to integrate schools,” he says. “If we didn't have enough at one school, we had to pair them with another nearby school to form a team. So we've been working on this problem for several years.”
Approximately 350 students played middle school soccer last year. This year there have been just over 200, Findlay said. Weber School District was the only school district in Utah that still had a middle school football program.
“We're trying to maintain programs, and soccer is the most expensive program to maintain at a middle school, so we were looking at about $50,000 a year for each school to keep it going,” he said.
Barrera said the program will no longer continue this fall, so all middle school players will return to Little League until they enter high school.
“I've been looking forward to playing here at South Ogden Middle School since second grade, as has my son,” he said.
Barrera can only hope that the community can somehow maintain the camaraderie and culture that middle school soccer creates.
“I think this is just a heartbreaking event for the entire community,” he said. “I think middle school and Little League could come together and find a place somewhere where Little League football and middle school representation could come together.”
