Soccer junkies

Rain or shine, these guys still show up to play

POLSON — A downpour wasn’t enough to keep away members of the Polson community from playing some pick-up soccer last Thursday night at Linderman Elementary. While the numbers weren’t the highest they’ve been in the past, soccer enthusiasts wrung out their drenched T-shirts and headed out on the pitch.

“What are you guys doing playing soccer in the rain?” a passerby yelled to the group in a light-hearted manner.

“[The community of Polson] has had a pickup game in one form or another for about five or six years,” PYSA Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Heutmaker said.

While nothing really formally organized, the pickup soccer game has expanded to three nights. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, you’ll see a group of players out on the field at about 7 p.m. That group is usually quite diverse with ages.

“There are ages from 10 years old to 60 and pretty much everywhere in between,” Heutmaker said.

Former Polson soccer player and community member Dever Graham said he’s seen a marked increase in attendance since the World Cup this year.

“This year it seemed like it picked up,” he said. “When you see them play soccer on TV, you want to come play.”

It wasn’t always like that. Heutmaker and other soccer enthusiasts had to send out text blasts, bulk e-mails and phone calls just to get enough players to get a game going.

“Now everyone knows when we play so I don’t send out any notice,” Heutmaker said.

Usually the pickup game travels  by word of mouth and has gotten quite a following. As many as 50 people have shown up to play before.

“At some points, we get so crowded we have to make another game,” Heutmaker said.

That second game is either played on the adjacent smaller soccer field at Linderman or moved to the Kerr Dam Fields.

The type of soccer players that show up is as varied as the age group. They usually have college and high school soccer experience. In fact, at any point, five or six soccer players from the U19 state championship team can be seen roaming the pitch.

“Everyone’s good and everyone is hungry to play competitive soccer,” Graham said.

Sometimes, though, there’s more kids that adults playing at the games too, said pickup player Ashton Sanders.

There’s even a group of seasonal workers from Mexico, who play for their hometown teams when they’re not up here, that frequent the games. Miguel, Tony and Aldo Mora are regulars at the pickup games.

36-year old Miguel has been playing soccer for 25 years, but he also has another activity he partakes in.

“I’m a surfer,” he said.

The soccer people just keep coming out the woodwork, Graham said.

Graham and some of the more core players are looking into developing an adult league in Polson, along with also competing at a tournament on Sept. 11-12 in Whitefish. However, with a $400 price tag to enter, Graham said he wants to make sure there’s a dedicated group of guys that can make a team. Graham is taking the first step by organizing a formal game on Aug. 26 for those that are 16 and over. While normally the pickup games don’t have refs and score is casually taken, Graham said this should be a more tightly knit affair.

There will be referees, the teams while be chosen via a lottery and the game will have open attendance for those interested in watching. Those interested in playing are encouraged to call Graham at 253-8319.

“We want to get players used to a competitive game and that it will be a little more organized,” he said.

He hopes that this is the first step to developing a men’s league in Polson. He estimates that they could probably start one with two teams but thinks it would need sponsorships in order for it to be viable and attractive to players.

Meanwhile, the pickup games keep on chugging. Heutmaker said the Tuesday and Thursday games will probably end when summer does but the Sunday games will go on until there is snow on the ground.

Then what?

“Obviously from November to March, it’s pretty hard to do,” Heutmaker said. “Then we just go inside.”

When the snow flies, make sure you hit up the Polson high school gym on Sundays because chances are, there will be somebody playing soccer.