Early one Sunday morning, a group gathers at the Sports Iowa Complex to play soccer. The facility is in between Boone and Ames, and allows for various sports to be played year-round. Each member has with them three shirts colored blue, red, and white. Each person draws a card with the colors written on the back, determining which color they will play as. Before they start the game, members jog around and stretch to warm their muscles. The energy is anticipatory as they await the go ahead to start the first game.
33 years ago Richard Mull began a soccer club with a small group of friends. Over time the group grew to hold several teams adding up to around one hundred players in all. They are divided into age groups and compete with similar teams around Iowa. After Covid-19 the club wasn’t able to keep up its regular sessions. Today, a group of men and women aged 35 and up get together every Sunday morning to scrimmage.
One member, Mary, has been playing soccer for her whole life. Finding this group has given her a way to continue her passion in an encouraging environment. “Everybody understands that we all have a job to go to on Monday,” Mary said. Because many of the members are older, this welcoming attitude is important and offers a place for them to do something they love without judgment or fear of getting too hurt.
Amongst the team there is a shared love for the game of soccer. Many of them have been playing soccer with the team since it started with Richard. “Everybody just enjoys playing soccer,” said Mary, “and so we’re out here to have fun.”
During the months where the club cannot play outside, they reserve the Sports Iowa facility every Sunday morning for a set number of months. They have a sign up for thirty people to come play and if someone can’t show up one week, they call in a substitute.