The loudest ovations Aug. 13 for the girls soccer match between Kirtland and host North weren’t reserved for any prematch festivities or goals.
Rather, it was reflected well after the final whistle had blown on the match in a laudable display of community service — the goals all parties involved can appreciate.
The Hornets’ and Rangers’ boys and girls sides, taking to the pitch amid the OHSAA’s “Friday Night Futbol” initiative, conducted what was scheduled to be a between-matches clinic for Empower Sports.
Unfortunately, an incoming storm front shortened the clinic and later postponed the boys match.
But that was hardly a deterrent for the young people taking part — both from Empower and from the high school sides.
“That’s the ‘Friday Night Futbol’ thing — we have to give back to the community,” Hornets senior midfielder Reilly Greenlee said. “We thought this was a great way to do it. We love helping people and getting kids to enjoy playing soccer. It’s fun for us. It’s fun for a lot of kids. It’s really important to share.”
Kirtland girls coach Ed Bradac explained sides are given a bonus 17th regular-season match for completion of a service project.
Bradac and his program hoped to make this “Friday Night Futbol” doubleheader that occasion, with an event revolving around adapted sports. He reached out to North boys coach Steve Misick, who in turn connected with Empower Sports.
According to its website, Empower Sports, based in Cleveland, “is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to providing sports and exercise programs for children and adults with various physical and cognitive disabilities and additional programs for typically developing kids.”
A half-dozen stations were set up around the pitch at Nick Carter Stadium, including shooting, passing and a target-practice station with cones. The Empower Sports attendees and the high school student-athletes had a steady rotation to each station.
“We had a lot of passing stations, and we had a couple of shooting stations, too, on the goals,” Greenlee said. “And we also had some dribbling stations, dribbling through cones, follow the leader — just fun stuff where there’s an end goal so the kids can feel like they win at the end of it.”
A complete rotation to all six was unfortunately nixed as thunder intensified on Lake Erie in an approaching cell.
One highlight came at a shooting station, where an Empower attendee was being encouraged in unison by the mass of high school student-athletes at that station by his first name. The attendee took a strong upper-90 strike that went into the back of the net, eliciting a wide smile in the process and cheers from the Kirtland and North players there.
Being part of something that goes beyond on-pitch results and into serving the community meant a lot to all involved.
“Yeah, it’s a huge deal for us,” Greenlee said. “We’re very thankful to be able to come play every day, and we want to share that with everyone. We’re doing another service project in the future. So it’s a great thing to do. It feels great.”
In the match, the reigning Division III state champion Hornets recorded a 10-1 win over the Rangers. Prolific senior striker Erika Zschuppe netted a hat trick, starting with a left-footed strike inside the right post 56 seconds in off a quality through ball with pace from junior midfielder Sophia Huang. Huang and freshman Clare Davidson each contributed a pair of goals.
#NHsoccer Claire Davidson PK 11th min
2-0 Kirtland pic.twitter.com/4QWFRgWmAl— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) August 13, 2021
Sydney Helm put the Rangers on the board with a strike in the 78th minute.
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