CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Area Board of School Directors unanimously approved a soccer program for the Clearfield Area Middle School Monday night. Directors Dr. Tina Serafini and R. Denning Gearhart were absent.
Dwight “Skip” Koerber presented a proposal for the fall 2007 season that will allow participation for middle school boys and girls. Currently the district-sponsored soccer program begins with the freshman year in high school.
Other school districts in the area have existing middle school soccer programs, and as Koerber said, this puts Clearfield youngsters at a competitive disadvantage.
In 2006 there were 516 Clearfield-area children ages 4-18 registered to play soccer. That would mean approximately 50 children are within the middle school age range for the soccer program.
Parent Fredric J. Ammerman pointed out that since the other schools have successfully launched middle school soccer programs, the Clearfield’s recreational soccer program has lost many competing teams.
Based upon information presented by Bob Aleksivich, president of the Clearfield Soccer Association, the district’s start-up cost for the new soccer program is estimated to be $4,500 for the first year with various options that will change the investment amount somewhat. These will be further investigated by the board of school directors and voted upon at a later date.
Eric Johnson, president of the Clearfield Soccer Booster Club, had additional information and suggestions regarding using some of the equipment that the varsity soccer team no longer needs.
Practices would be held at the Clearfield Driving Park.
The high school coaches have agreed that the five home games should be scheduled at the high school practice field since the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association requires that a representative from the athletic department be present at all games. Another five games for each the boys’ and girls’ seasons will be played at other teams’ fields.
Part of the proposal not yet approved is that the Clearfield Soccer Association and the Clearfield Soccer Booster Club would provide the corner flags and electronic scoreboard at no cost to the district.