Notes from the President

By Brett Reich

Happy New Year MSC Families! 2020 was a year like we have never seen before and I’m happy to finally see it behind us. Even though there were many challenges and difficulties, I’m very thankful that we were still able to have a Fall soccer season. There are always risks, but we had an outstanding plan in place that focused on the safety and health of our players and families. There were a few growing pains in the beginning, but the reward of the kids being able to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air, and more importantly, the camaraderie of being with their teammates and friends, made it all worth it! The season could not have been possible without all of the hard work and extra efforts of our VPs of soccer, coaching directors, coaching staff, and all of the wonderful families and volunteers who helped to ensure that our COVID protocol was followed. I can’t thank everyone enough for those efforts!

This year is the first MSC Christmas Banquet that I can recall missing, which is an event I know everyone looks forward to and something that makes us stand apart from other clubs. Although there are still many unknowns with the pandemic, in lieu of the Christmas party, our board has been talking about having an outdoor picnic in conjunction with a Majors game for all of our current and past members. (Think of it as an MSC family reunion.)

We have all intentions of holding our Soccerfest tournament this year; it was recently approved by the WYSA for the weekend of September 10-12. We are also hopeful that our Germanfest and Beer Tasting fundraisers will be held again. There are a couple of other exciting things on the horizon for fundraising ideas, as well as expanding our social media presence. In addition, we launched our new website! Be sure to check it out.

We are working with electrical professionals to map out our next phases of lighting, which will include the replacements of any existing non-LED lights and the additions of new fixtures to our existing wired poles. After evaluating the cost to trench wiring to new locations, we have opted instead to purchase several portable lights like we rented last Fall. The quality and amount of light would be better than adding to our existing poles and will allow us to light up any area on the grounds.

To close and reiterate, although 2020 was difficult for many of our families, it also gave us an opportunity to learn new ways to communicate and conduct business. It allowed us to slow down a bit without all of the hustle and bustle of our “normal” lives, and allowed us to reflect and appreciate what is truly important. I am hopeful that 2021 will kick off the new “Roaring 20s” and am excited to see what it has in store for MSC. I want to thank everyone for their support and understanding this past year. Let’s work together to make 2021 an amazing year!

Notes from Coach Nicole

Over the last 35 years of coaching and playing soccer, I never thought I would miss the game in quite this way. Being told to take a short break, then a long break, then keep waiting for a cohesive direction, and finally to keep my distance and coach in a hands-off fashion was tough. I couldn’t wait to get back on the field with all the players again! I know many of the kids shared my frustration and were beyond overjoyed to start practicing and playing again.

First, let me state that I hold a deep sense of gratitude to the families who trusted MSC to help their children return to the game of soccer. It was a struggle for all of us, being uncertain of what would happen the next week, but we never forgot that our first priority was to the kids. I met virtually with the State each week during the quarantine as they tried to condition the directors and clubs to facilitate a safe transition back to the “greatest game,” and I spoke often of the need to return to play. Further, I know the decision to allow the children to interact with our staff and other players was a difficult one for some families. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us bring soccer back to our community, which helps strengthen and empower us all.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of our volunteer coaches and staff for helping make this fall so much fun for the kids! The coaches for doing a great job of following socially distanced instruction and play, and the managers for communicating the many games and player-passing to the families. I want to thank the families for supporting our kids this fall and cheering them through the games in a respectful and safe manner.

Most importantly, I want to thank our players. Taking more than 2 months off caused us all to shift our focus. Watching the players get back in shape, rebuild team connections, and strengthen their individual skills while competing with their new teammates really inspired me. Thank you for pushing yourselves and sharing your resilience with your teammates, families, and all of our staff!

Our Youth Academy took yet another step forward this year into the Club vs Club model. We were able to bring our entire girls and boys programs, and all of the families in the U8-U10 teams, to the same location on Saturdays and Sundays to play opposing clubs. This was wonderful as it allowed the families to watch all of their children rather than having to choose which games they could make it to. Coaches could assist with multiple levels of play under this model, and the club was able to foster player development as many kids had the opportunity to play in multiple games on one day.

As a club and staff, we are looking forward to whatever challenges may face us in the coming year so that we may overcome them and grow as a cohesive family and further the nurturing and training of our younger generations.

– Nicole Schmidt Nowicki
Director of Coaching