Judson College’s Lady Eagles soccer team will kick off its inaugural season this fall and is currently fielding a roster of the 22 or more needed to play.
Since arriving at the Marion campus in mid-March, head coach Bryan Weiss, the former men’s soccer coach at Crossroads College in Rochester, Minn., has been busy traveling across Alabama to meet with potential recruits. So far, eight high school students have signed with the team.
Weiss anticipates having 14 incoming freshman on the team, as several more students are expected to sign within the next several weeks. He plans to complete the roster by signing a number of current Judson students.
"I’ve signed five current students with legitimate soccer backgrounds, and others have asked about trying out," Weiss said.
The Judson board of trustees approved the addition of soccer to the college’s list of intercollegiate sports in October 2007.
"The one sport we didn’t have here at Judson that we are most often asked about in admissions by prospective students is soccer," said Charlotte Clements, vice president for admissions and financial aid. "The sport is just wildly popular with girls everywhere."
Judson Athletic Director Lee Jones can vouch for that. "I’ve been helping Bryan recruit, and we’ve found soccer to be very popular in high schools now," he said.
The completion of a soccer field at the Charles F. Dunkin Athletic Complex, which was finished in 2007, cleared the way for the sport’s arrival at Judson.
And Judson President David Potts said bringing Weiss on board only added momentum as "we are eagerly awaiting next year’s soccer games on the new field."
"Bryan Weiss is a man of character and faith who supports the mission of Christian higher education at the college, and he has great experience in coaching soccer at all levels," Potts said.
And according to Brad Vaught, athletic director at Crossroads, Weiss was a perfect choice for the job. "There are a lot of important foundational things that must be done when you are starting a new program," Vaught said. "Weiss can do them. He’ll do a great job down there."
He added the fact that Weiss moved from Minnesota to Alabama shows his "long-term commitment and dedication" to Judson’s program.
Weiss said he chose to come to Judson because he felt sure he could build the team into an attractive option for high school athletes. "My family and I came down for a visit, and we felt really good about Judson," Weiss said, noting they prayed about the move and felt it was God’s hand leading them to Judson.
The season opener for the Lady Eagles, a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, is scheduled for Aug. 30 at home against Mississippi’s Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
For more information about the Judson soccer program, call the athletics office at 334-683-5204.
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