By: Collin Gibbs
“I find myself tied against the opponents. I have seen a few of them around campus but know nothing more than their play style. The ball kicks off at the center circle and time continues to tic. With less than 3 minutes remaining, I know it is now I must save the team from having to walk off. I find the central midfield player and pass the ball to him. Two players swarm. This frees me up and now I am wide open on the outside. Screaming back for the ball from him. He finds me. I am now 1v1 with the keeper. I open my hips, align my focus and slot the ball straight passed him into the side netting. My team is here to stay.”
For some of us out there, soccer has always been a vacation. A step back from reality where we can zone in with nothing more than the ball at our feet and some time to kill. Luckily, for students at Kennesaw State this is actually much easier to find then one might imagine.
The school is full of soccer players. However, going to practice three times a week and being very committed can be hard. Thus, KSU has a very competitive pick up soccer culture that has become contagious. Everyday more and more players pile into the indoor court, in the campus recreation center, to share their love of soccer without having to suffer through things like mandatory conditioning or weekend tournaments.
There are over 400 players, boys and girls, willing to get up and play at any time and all you need is a phone and access to the group’s messages. These messages are normally sent out around 6:30 pm as this is typically when players are still on campus but out of class.
This “culture” of active soccer players on campus has been going on for some time now. Ever since Kennesaw State University remodeled the recreational building and added the Multi-Activity Court (MAC GYM), students have been itching to get on the soccer court and show their peers just what they are made of.
The MAC gym was said to be originally made for students wanting to rent and play any type of game they desire. However, with there not being any other place on campus for students to play. It has been taken over by hundreds of soccer players all hungry for their next goal.
According to multiple players, the MAC gym was chosen as it is much more convenient than outdoor. The MAC gym is located on campus making it easily assessable for everyone. The closest outdoor fields are out the Perch which is located off campus. Also, playing indoor avoids needing cleats and playing in the cold.
The games themselves are all run based on rules that have existed as long as the court itself. Anyone with a gym membership on campus is welcome to play. The indoor court holds 12 players. Therefore, the games are 6v6 including the goal keeper. You are only allowed to enter the court once you have a full 6 players on your team and the team ahead of you has lost. After that it is the “Winner stays” rule. The games are played in ten minute intervals or the first to two goals. If you score two goals before the opponent, you send the other team packing and a new squad of six comes on to play another game. If it is a tie both teams exit and two new teams come on.
Zorah Iremi has been going to KSU since the pick-up league really started to take off.
“I can remember when they first built the indoor court. All the sudden there were more soccer players on campus then I had ever seen before,” Iremi said.
Iremi said that they use to not have a time limit on the games but once you get two good teams on the court and it takes 45 minutes to score two goals everyone waiting would get frustrated so they created the ten minute rule.
“I really like the ten minute rule,” Iremi said. “We just started it this year and it has made it where you know you are not going to have to wait forever to play.”
Sophomore Angel Pascual plays pick-up soccer on campus everyday.
“I sometimes get my homework done early just to come play with the rest of the guys,” Pascual said. ” I can remember coming in here for one of the first times and I scored one of the best volleys of my whole life. We get the craziest goals. Everything from headers, to one touch finishes, half court shots, you name it.”
The players are all majority males with a few girls every once in a while.
Sometimes the pick up players are even lucky enough to get actual KSU athletes to come out and compete with them as well.
Haley Worthy, a sophomore on the women’s soccer team at KSU said, “I come in and play all the time during the off season. The guys give me a good run for my money and I get to stay in shape while doing what I love.”
Worthy said that she really enjoys always having the guys to play with. She said that it gives her time to play a little less serious than practice while still having good competition.
“KSU pick up soccer is here to stay. We have really created a place for people to come and just have a good time doing what we love. I hope future students who attend KSU continue to do the same,” Pascual said.
KSU's Indoor Soccer Culture 