Catholic school youth soccer program helps grow the sport in the community
By Jeff Kurowski | On Mission
BRILLION — Sept. 9, 2023, was a big day for Holy Family School in Brillion – its three soccer teams played their first-ever games, hosting teams from Plymouth and Kiel.
So what does Patrick Micksch, a midfielder/forward for the 10U (ages 10 and under) boys’ team, remember about that day nearly one year ago?
“We won,” the soon to be fourth-grader recalled with a big smile.
Just taking the field last September was a victory for the Eagles, considering that the idea for a soccer program was first introduced only five months earlier.
In April of 2023, Holy Family parents Katie Micksch, who is Patrick’s mother, and Jared Hause were among the volunteers helping at a youth movie night.
“We were talking about our school. We’re trying to grow enrollment, trying to make us more marketable,” said Hause. “Athletics were something we had not had at our school in a long time. Katie and I were cooking some pizzas. We said, ‘Let’s make a soccer team.’”
“I played soccer growing up and I always wanted to give that to my kids,” said Micksch. “Brillion has a rec program (in the spring), but not a lot of soccer things. I wanted to offer that to my kids and also other kids around the area.”
Micksch started doing some online research. She discovered that the Eastern Wisconsin Soccer League was in its third year and was accepting new teams.
“It all started falling into place,” she said. “By the next week, I was already making registration forms to get them out to the families. We had registration forms by May. By June, we already had all our kids signed up and, by July, we had referees. It went from nothing to being something rather quickly.”
Balls, bags and uniforms were needed. Micksch designed the logo for the program, which is an Eagle carrying a soccer ball in its talons.
“We fundraised last summer,” said Micksch. “We did a nacho bar and had local talent for music at Carstens Mill (in Brillion). We had a bunch of people from our local community come out to support us.”
Fifty Holy Family players participated the first season, making up 8U coed, 10U girls’ and 10U boys’ teams.
“We had a mix from Holy Family school as well as our faith formation group,” said Hause. “Looking at this year, we are at five teams (12U boys and 12U girls have been added) and over 70 (players). We actually opened it up to the community. We were trying to fill some of our teams. If you aren’t part of the church, we still welcomed you. We want you to be part of what we are doing. It’s about building community.”
Both Hause and Micksch, who coached in the Brillion recreational soccer league, served as coaches in the Holy Family program the first year. Games started with a prayer, said Mickisch.
“If you didn’t know the prayer, that’s OK, because we did have some kids from the community,” she said. “It was always a good way to start off the game. If we forgot, the kids would say, ‘We didn’t do our prayer,’ and we would do it at the end. It was a good way to show our faith to other teams. It’s OK to pray in front of other people. It’s always good to ask for help in our games and make sure that everybody stays safe and that we have fun.”
Todd Blahnik, principal at Holy Family School, said that he shares information about the soccer program with prospective families. He added that the soccer program led to additional sports at Holy Family.
“We are always looking for things to get the kids involved,” he said. “The athletic committee sponsored basketball this year. Just like soccer, that first game, we had a lot of parishioners come out. There’s also wrestling. We’re looking for more opportunities. It’s another plus to see the school. We have a wonderful community, people just have to get to know it.”
The 2024 season for the Eagles will start with practice in August, with the first games being played in September. The game schedule is listed in the parish bulletin to encourage fan support.
The soccer teams practice on one weekday in order to allow youth time to participate in other sports and activities. Games are played on Saturdays.
Rising fifth-grader Abbi Dallmann, who is a “lockdown defender,” according to Hause, looks forward to moving up to the 12U girls’ team this season. Dallmann, who also competes in robotics, said the team camaraderie is her favorite part of playing for the Eagles.
“I played soccer a couple years before (in the spring recreational league),” she said. “I really like having fun playing with all my friends.”
Holy Family plays its home games at Horn Park in Brillion. Hause takes on the task of spraying lines on the field, which requires three hours of work, he said.
“You look at these children and that’s the reason why you do this stuff,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to share our message and be a positive influence on the community. It’s all about creating opportunities for the kids, being disciples of Jesus.”
“We’re trying to build the excitement for soccer in Brillion,” said Micksch. “Maybe down the road this will bring a high school team to our community.”
“It’s a way for us to lean into the community and fill a need,” said Blahnik. “We can share what Holy Family is all about and share our faith, too.”
SEEKING GAME OFFICIALS: The Holy Family soccer program is in need of referees for the 2024 season, which begins in September. Pay is $25 per game. Certification assistance will be provided. For more information, email katie.micksch@gmail.com.