New Kids on the Block

Linn Benton Community College is giving a warm welcome to its newest sports team, a soccer club. While there have been LBCC soccer clubs in the past, Coach Art Mota along with the help of club president Kyle Boylan, is reviving the club with enough passion to light a city. “We’re the new kids on the block,” said Mota, “but it’s a good thing. Already other clubs are contacting us to set up games”. For the twenty members of the new club, these are the words they want to hear.

The team has already played and won their first game, 3-0 against Corvallis at North Albany Middle School and looking forward to more exhibition games during spring term.

The LBCC soccer club is a group of people with a comman passion for playing soccer, some are old hands, others are just starting. The club is open to everyone, men and women equally, with no limit to number of people who can join. Currently, Boylan has been setting up fundraisers to cover costs of equipment, uniforms, referees, travel and more. According to Boylan, the team has a tentative fundraiser in place for April 14th, at Red Robin in Albany from five to eight p.m. where ten percent of register sales will go to the club. Fundraisers like these help make the possibility of becoming a part of the Cascade Collegiate Soccer League (CCSL) a reality. The CCSL is coordinated by Scott Milum of Central Oregon Community College meant for Collegiate level club teams and allows for each team to play each other twice during the season.




Art Mota new coach of the LBCC Soccer Club.


The club has only been official for approximately three weeks, so spring term is dedicated to the club members practicing, getting to know one another, and playing exhibition games with the goal of joining eight other northwest collegiate teams in the Cascade Collegiate Soccer League.

What happens if they are accepted to the league? The game season will run from August to November and additional funding to cover costs will come from affordable member dues. Upon being accepted to the CCSL, approximately 16 members will play on the traveling team, with additional opportunities for other members to play games. When I asked Mota what drives students to join the club, he said “They have taken soccer classes in the past, want to try something different, or are aspiring to play at a higher level”. Mota continued by saying that playing with a club is a great way for new, young athletes to get noticed and build friendships.

Dates and times will vary for future soccer games because, as a club, they have to coordinate around everyone’s work and school schedule, including the opposing team. This can be a large downfall because it makes practices hard to schedule, and even harder to attend for some. Boylan did not seem worried though, “We're a hardworking team, always going to be fighting at every game, and for every opportunity to try and improve". So while LBCC has had some losses in programs, it has also made some gains, one of which is the soccer club. If free entertainment (yes games are free), showing support for your school, or your friends on the team is not a win-win situation, then I don’t know what is. Contact Art Mota at 917-4730 for more information on joining the team.


Fast Facts:

• Linn Benton Community College welcomes new soccer club.
• They will play games against other Northwest Colleges.
• "We're the new kids on the block."
• Dates and times vary for games.
• Club may lay foundation for soccer program at LBCC .