The WDMSC is pleased to announce that we are now accepting enrollment for
our new BATS Academy (Brains, Athleticism, Techniques, and Special Qualities)
program for U9 and U10 boys and girls. This program is intended as a
supplement for these players’ soccer activities at the recreational level.
Through playing in small-sided games where technique is stressed, players will
develop a passion for soccer and the skills necessary to excel. In today’s
game, the ability of each player to appreciate and manipulate the ball is
paramount. Too often, this is done in dull, repetitive activities and on teams
where winning is emphasized. In contrast, we will prepare players to play a
more competitive game be it select soccer or recreational soccer by
introducing concepts and techniques in challenging but fun, developmental
environments where players can try new moves, ideas, and techniques without
fear. Three types of coaches will be used to teach, mentor, and demonstrate
these tactics and techniques: Corbin Stone, ‘A’ license and long-time college,
club, and ODP coach at the national and regional level will lead the sessions.
Older WDMSC players will mentor the players as will current and past Division
I players from Drake University. Lindsey Horner, a former Valley prep and
University of Kansas standout, will also assist. The BATS Academy wants to
instill a passion for the ball and the game in each and every player so that they
can shine at all levels.
THE NEW RECREATIONAL UNIFORMS WILL
INCLUDE TWO JERSEYS, ONE WHITE AND ONE BLUE, SHORTS AND SOCKS(not shown). THE COST WILL
BE $36.00.
ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE JERSEY WILL BE
The WDMSC Logo and Crest
(NOT SHOWN IN PICTURE)
You may order your uniform from Soccer Connections now.
Soccer Connection's Address is 312 Grand Avenue in West Des Moines.
Congratulations to WDMSC High School Players
WDMSC players completed a successful 2006/07 high school season for their respective schools. Over 100 WDMSC players were named to high school varsity rosters and close to 100 more to JV and freshman team rosters. Iowa high school soccer is organized into 2 divisions, with larger schools competing in the 2A division and smaller schools in 1A.
High School State Tournaments
25 WDMSC players competed for 5 of the 16 teams that qualified for the Boys State High School Tournament, including champions Ankeny and Norwalk (2 A & 1A respectively) and 3rd place winner Valley (2A). The number of WDMSC players on each state qualifier is as follows:
Valley - 15
Norwalk - 4
Ankeny - 3
Dowling Catholic - 2
Ft. Dodge -1
21 WDMSC players competed for 5 of the 16 teams that qualified for the Iowa Girls High School State Tournament, including champions Valley And Cedar Rapids Xavier (2A & 1A respectively). The number of WDMSC players on each state qualifier is as follows:
Valley - 13
Ames - 5
Johnston - 1
Norwalk - 1
Cedar Rapids Xavier - 1
All-Tournament Teams
WDMSC players were named the captains for all 4 of the all-tournament teams - this is believed to be a first for any soccer club.
-Emily Hejlik-Valley (Girls 2A)
-Bailey Dorrington -Cedar Rapids Xavier (Girls 1A)
-Jacob Misel - Ankeny (Boys 2A)
-Eric May - Norwalk (Boys 1A)
In addition, 5 other WDMSC players were named to all-tournament teams:
-Tane Welling - Valley
-Michael Thaden - Valley
-Austin Adamson - Norwalk
-Lindsey Vorland - Valley
-Jennie Clark - Norwalk
All-State Teams
The following WDMSC players were selected to all-state teams:
Boys 2A
-Michael McLellan (Valley HS) -1st team
-Jacob Misel (Ankeny HS) -1st team
-Cody Bowers (East HS) - 1st team
-Ross Jennings (Johnston HS) - 2nd team
-Stuart Soorholtz (Valley HS)- Honorable mention
-Michael Thaden (Valley HS)- Honorable mention
Boys 1A
-Eric May (Norwalk HS) - 1st team
-Austin Adamson (Norwalk HS) - 1st team
Girls 2A
-Emily Hejlik (Valley HS) - 1st team and elite all state
-Lindsey Vorland (Valley HS) - 1st team and elite all-state
-Kelli Herman (Sioux City East) - 1st team
-Elyse Galles (Valley HS) -2nd team
-Nicole Henderson (Valley HS) - 2nd team
-Katie Nordquist (Valley HS) - Honorable mention
-Natalie Hashemi -Toroghi -(Ames HS) - Honorable mention
-Chelsie Hochstedler (Linn Mar HS) - Honorable mention
-Kathie Shardri (Dowling Catholic HS) - Honorable mention)
-Gillen Witherspoon (Ankeny HS) Honorable mention
-Annie Hatlie (Dowling Catholic HS)
-Honorable mention -Taylor Gray (DM Roosevelt HS) - Honorable mention
-Danielle French (DM Lincoln) - Honorable mention
Girls 1A
-Jennie Clark (Norwalk HS) - 1st team
-Bailey Dorrington (Cedar Rapids Xavier) - 1st team and elite all -state
All-Conference Teams Over 20 WDMSC boys players and 20 girls were also named to their respective all -conference teams.
Congratulations to our high school players on their successes. A special thanks and good luck to our graduating seniors!
Family Fun Night a Big Success
The West Des Moines Soccer Club hosted a family fun night at its new and improved Raccoon River soccer complex on Aug 24, 2006. West Des Moines Mayor, Eugene Meyer, was on hand for the ribbon cutting and the Drake men's soccer team played an exhibition game for the families. There were many activities for all to enjoy including Carnival games, a bounce house and obstacle course, nature walk, dunk tank, and of course a picnic dinner catered by the Smokehouse Restaurant.
The WDMSC fields at Raccoon River Park have been closed for the past year while much needed re-grading and irrigation was done to improve the playing surface. WDMSC players, coaches and parents look forward to a great year on the new and improved fields. Please read the letter from Club President, Dave Soorholtz.
The Family Fun Night Committee would like to extend thank-yous to the donors and winners of our Silent Auction who helped the Club in this way. Profits from the Silent Auction will be used to add bathrooms at the Hidden Valley Soccer Complex.
Earlier in the day, the WDMSC held its 2nd Annual Golf Classic on August 24th at the Willow Creek Golf Course. Scheduled in conjunction with the Raccoon River grand opening event, this year’s edition was dubbed “Birdies for Bathrooms.”
A total of 72 players competed for an exciting array of prizes and — thanks to a number of generous donors listed below — raised more than $5,000 for facility improvements (most notably new restrooms at the Hidden Valley soccer complex).
While no one made a hole-in-one to win the Volkswagen Beetle there were many winners of various contests. Click here for a complete list of winners.
A big thank-you goes out to the entire tournament organizing committee, the players and Sponsors of the Golf Classic. Based upon the expansion of this year’s event, next year promises to be even bigger yet. We thank you for your continued support of the WDMSC and hope that you plan on being a part of next year's event!
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WDMSC Facilities Improvement Campaign
The board of the West Des Moines Soccer Club hopes that we can count on you to help bring our facilities to the next level of excellence. We are sure that you will notice and be proud of the difference that we can make. As a reminder, the goals for our Raccoon River and Hidden Valley Soccer Complexes are listed below. We expect these improvements to greatly improve the soccer experience for all of our players, families and visitors.
Hidden Valley Soccer Complex
Most of the U11 and above recreational and competitive games are played at our Hidden Valley soccer complex. Our priority at Hidden Valley is to add modern restrooms to replace the kybos. We have raised a portion of the estimated $80,000 funds necessary for this project and have already run the necessary water and sewer lines. However, we need additional funds to allow us to complete the construction during this winter in advance of the spring 2007 season and the USYSA Regional Tournament that WDMSC will co-host in June 2007.
Raccoon River Soccer Complex
We have made many changes at Raccoon River over the past two years, but we are now pleased to return to our home fields. The total cost of the project was slightly more than $200,000, all of which was paid for by West Des Moines Soccer Club. Some of those funds came from Club reserves with the remainder provided by a loan by our bank. After funding the bathrooms at Hidden Valley, our intention is to retire the debt from this project.
How you can help
Please click here to print a pledge card for the WDMSC improvement campaign. You may contribute via a one time payment or you may wish to pledge an equal amount over the next three years. Please complete the pledge card and mail it with your donation to: WDMSC, PO Box 25023, West Des Moines, IA 50265
Recognition Levels
- Royal-$1,000 and above ($334/year for three years)
- White-$500-999 ($167/year for three years)
- Black-$225-499 ($75/year for three years)
- Supporters-$75-224 ($25/year for three years)
Royal and White donors will be recognized by signs at both the Raccoon River and Hidden Valley Soccer Complexes.
Matching Funds
The West Des Moines Soccer Club is a not for profit, 501(c)(3) organization. You may be able to double your donation with a matching fund request if your company provides that benefit. Please let us know how we can help you make this request.
Thank you for your support
Please feel free to contact any board member with questions or suggestions that you may have regarding these initiatives.
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WDMSC U14 Girls Team Places 3rd in National Event
WDMSC’s U14 Girls team The Slam placed 3rd in the U14 Girls Rec Division of the KICK-IT 3v3 2005 Tournament held January 15-17 at the Disney sports complex in Orlando, Florida. Over 1000 teams from across the nation participated in the event. The Slam was narrowly defeated in the semi-finals by a tie-breaking goal with only 8 seconds remaining, and bounced back strongly to win the consolation game with a decided 4-1 victory. Congratulations to Madison Hiskey, Haley Zahren, Briana Haguewood, and Katie Nylen, all of West Des Moines, Jessica Schaeffer of Ankeny and Shelby Lee of Pleasant Hill.
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WDMSC’s Mollie McMahon Named High School All-American
Mollie McMahon, a U17 player for the WDMSC, was recently named
to the 2005 NSCAA/Adidas Girls High School All-America Team. One of 80 total honorees, Mollie has been invited to the NSCAA All-America Luncheon, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, as part of the 2006 NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, Pa.
Mollie was extremely happy at being named to the NSCAA / High School All-American List. She was nominated by her High School Coach JR Fernandes. Mollie is a Senior at Roosevelt High School
and Captain of the HS team. "I take great pride in playing soccer
at Roosevelt, and I really enjoy my teammates. High school soccer
is difficult as players must quickly learn to play with each other.
But you bond quickly as there is the common goal of representing your school."
Mollie plays sweeper for her HS team. In 2005 she scored 10 goals with 4 of the goals being match winners. She helped Roosevelt win their 5th straight CIML Metro Conference Title. Not only has Mollie succeeded on the soccer field, she is also a member of the National Honor Society at Roosevelt. Mollie currently plays for the WDMSC U-17 Fuerza team that has won 4 straight State Cups.
Mollie says, "Soccer has given me the opportunity to travel and make many life long friends. Soccer has taught me to take care of myself and to respect my fellow players and coaches." Mollie intends to play soccer in college but has yet to commit to a college. She is hoping to major in Pre-Med. We are very proud of Mollie and wish her continued success.
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Whitney Sharpe Named to US National U15 Team Pool
WDMSC player Whitney Sharpe has just been named to the USA Women’s U15 National Team Pool. She is the first WDMSC player to be named to a US National Team and one of a handful of players in the state to ever achieve this honor.
Whitney was one of 24 players nationwide called by US Soccer to train with this team October 22-28 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. While at the recent training session, Whitney attended a UCLA women’s soccer match and met US Women’s’ National Team star Abby Wambach. The US National Team will practice periodically throughout the year and play matches against the national teams of other countries.
“It was serious soccer –a very high quality of play. The players had named lockers at the Home Depot Center (one of the first soccer-specific stadiums in the US), and every day had fresh uniforms and cleats waiting for them –not quite what happens at home,” said mother Judy Sharpe.
Whitney plays forward and center-midfielder for the West Des Moines Quest, the club’s U16 girls select girls’ team which has won 4 state championships in its 6 years of existence and never placed lower than 2nd in the state. She played for the 2005 State Champion Valley High School of West Des Moines girls’ soccer team and was nominated to the All State Team as a freshman. In 2005, Whitney is also a talented runner and won both individual and relay state track championships for WDM Valley in 2005.
“Whitney is one of the hardest working players I’ve ever coached. In addition to team practices, she works a lot on her own to improve her skills –camps, clinics or just going to the field to kick the ball around, she has a real passion and love for the game,” said Dave Nylen, WDMSC Professional Coach. Nylen coached Whitney for 5 years beginning at U11. Whitney began playing soccer in the West Des Moines Soccer recreational program at age 8 after being invited to play by a friend.
Congratulations Whitney!
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WDMSC Adult Men's Team Wins Summer League Championship
A team comprised of WDMSC players, alumni and coaches won the Iowa Premier League Soccer League summer league with a record of 9-0-1.
Front Row: K. Feeney, J. Feeney, A. Heard, C. Allen, T. Dutcher, S. Sandahl
Second Row: J. Misel, E. Bentzinger, P. Brackett, J. Steggerda, N. Waggoner, B. Schuchmann
Back Row: P. Nylen, K. Reilly, W. Scott, N. Amato, N. Wall, A. Epstein
West Des Moines
Soccer Club to Co-Host
2007 Midwest Regional Tournament
West Des Moines Soccer Club and the City of Des Moines have been
selected to host the 2007 US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships.
This tournament will bring in over 12,000 players, coaches and
fans from a 14 –state area, and is estimated to have an
economic impact of over $7 million. The tournament will be hosted
at West Des Moines Soccer Club’s Hidden Valley Soccer Complex
and the Cownie Soccer Complex operated by the City of Des Moines.
Over 200 competitive club teams (U13-U19) that are champions in
their respective states will compete in the tournament June 22-27,
2007.
This is the second time that the even has been held in the Des
Moines area. The performance and hospitality of West Des Moines
Soccer Club, the city of Des Moines and City of West Des Moines
in hosting the 2003 Midwest Regional Championships played a big
role in United States Youth Soccer Association deciding to return
to the Des Moines area in 2007. US Youth Soccer earlier awarded
the 2006 US Youth National Championships to Des Moines.
To view a press release on this even click HERE.
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