By joshua knopp/managing editor
Claire Weeden/The Collegian
Students practiced ball control and goal-kicking during a soccer clinic Feb. 19 on NE Campus.
Health and physical education instructor Eli Koenn, who played soccer throughout college and coached soccer for eight years, led the clinic. She currently serves as the NE Campus Soccer Club’s faculty advisor.
“The Saturday sessions just started about a year ago,” Koenn said. “This is the first soccer clinic.”
Ball control drills mainly focused on forcing students to use parts of their feet not often used. Most students have a dominant foot and use the instep of that foot for ball control, but Koenn’s drills had students use just their weaker foot, then just the outside of both feet and then only the bottom of their feet.
Claire Weeden/The Collegian
After practicing juggling and one-touch passes, students then participated in what Koenn calls her “World Cup” drill. Students fought for the ball in an every-man-for-himself game with Koenn serving as the goaltender. After a student scored a goal, he sat out. When one player was left, that player was eliminated. Rounds repeated until a champion emerged.
The clinic culminated in a 3-on-3 scrimmage without goaltenders.
Students came to the clinic from multiple soccer backgrounds, ranging from Tuan Nguyen, who knew little about soccer, to Andrew Medina and Jonathan Rea, who are active participants in the club.
“It’s the funnest time of the week,” Rea, who serves as club president, said about the club. “Everybody’s welcome to come out here even if they don’t know how to play.”
Medina agreed.
“If they don’t know what to do, we teach them,” he said. “You make a lot of friends, too.”
Largely because of the recent weather, the club hasn’t met yet this semester.
“I haven’t played in like three months,” Rea said. “No cleats. I really need cleats.”
Now that the ice has melted, Rea set a tentative schedule for the club of 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the field southwest of the NHPE building. The days and hours are subject to change. Contact Koenn at 817-515-6581 for more information.
