Women's Soccer Program in 18th Year
At the beginning of 2007, three Beadling girls teams, U16, U15 Beadling Inferno,and U14 Beadling Blaze, were selected to play in the prestigious Region 1 Premier League (Director's League). The U16 girls won the Regional Championship in 2005, but lost out to Bethesda Blast in regional play in 2006. They remain an incredibly strong team with many standouts, including three Region 1 players, and are coached by Club Director, Denny Kohlmyer. Also, expected to make a good showing this year is the U15 Beadling Inferno coached by Erik Duffy. This team rosters 10-12 ODP players and 3 Region 1 players. Keep an eye on Coach Arne Thomas' U14 Beadling Blaze as well with some highly competitive players who are working hard to continue the Beadling winning traditiion and advance the women's program. And, all of the Beadling girls teams are proud of the Beadling Centennials, who as U19s in Spring 2006, achieved the incredible by having won all of their State Championship games since being U12s.
History
Women's Soccer Comes to Beadling
An article by Brienne Colby
The first Beadling Club girls' teams were formed in 1989, and right away girls came onto the Beadling scene in large numbers. At that time, age groups were organized in two-year classifications: two U-19 teams, two U-16 teams, two U-14 teams and two U-12 teams. These first teams were composed of eventual college players, many of whom starred and competed for four years at their respective universities. Many talented female players joined the club in 1989, just as there are today. What, then, has changed over the past nine years and how has the program developed?
One former female player noted that playing for the Bead ling Club in 1989 didn't necessarily carry a lot of meaning. It was, in essence, just a place to play. Today, the sense of pride in being a player with the Beadling Club is almost tangible, demonstrated by the impressive number of players that tried out for the new U-12 team this year.
Since their inception into the club, Beadling girls' teams have advanced to the Region I quarterfinals, semi-finals and to the final round. Our teams have traveled as far as California, Massachusetts and Florida. The Beadling girls are succeeding in competitive tournaments once thought too difficult to attend. As western Pennsylvania battles to break out of soccer adolescence, the Beadling Club girls have led the way. Now able to compete with soccer "powers" like Virginia and eastern New York, players are gaining confidence.
As a Beadling coach now for several years, I have had the opportunity to watch the program advance. I have witnessed a change in player attitude and watched the pride in the club grow. I noted the increase in opportunities for my players as they entered colleges two years ago, as opposed to the relatively limited soccer opportunities in 1987 when I graduated from high school. This in only nine years! In general, there has been no better time in the history of the United States to be a female athlete, and more specifically this is an incredibly exciting time to be a soccer player. We watched the Women's National Team win the gold at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. In 1999, the Women's World Cup comes to America. Women's collegiate soccer programs have more than doubled what they were just ten years ago. The Beadling Club has advanced to the point where former players are now returning as coaches. Players will benefit from trainers who are also role models, and who have shared their club experience.
What can we look forward to in the future from the Beadling girls' soccer teams? Surely, we can count on the continued growth of the Club and ever improving team performances and achievements. In 1992, the U-13 Beadling girls' team coached by Denny Kohlmyer won the Region I tournament held that year at the University of Massachusetts. Unfortunately, their young age denied them the opportunity to advance to the National Tournament. This victory was both a psychological and an athletic one. Who will be the first western Pennsylvania girls' team to go to Nationals? The girls have come along way since 1989 and though the growing process continues, this once seemingly unattainable goal is now within the capabilities of the Club, the players and the coaches. The only question is, how soon will that be?