Sucked into Soccer
Jonah Kalafut, 12, of Butler Township, learned from his mother at an early age how to kick a black and white ball.
He joined his first soccer team at age 4.
"My mom taught me how to play," he said.
Jonah's mother, Anna Kalafut, started her involvement with the Butler County Soccer Association in the same way as most parents: by following the interest of her children. She is now vice president of the organization.
In various seasons, Jonah plays on four soccer teams, including two with the association.
Youth soccer associations are aligned with PA West, a governing soccer body based in Monroeville.
Scott Denniston, who is the father of five children, three of whom are old enough to play, is president.
Denniston, too, took a leadership position because of his children. He said he wanted to see that coaches got the support they needed from the organization."A lot of people want to (coach), but don't know what to do," he said.Since he became president a year ago, about a third of the coaches have attended a coaching class hosted by PAWest. Denniston has earned national coaching certification.He also eliminated individual team fundraising and started a system that focuses on raising cash via ads in printed programs.Many of the duties of president, though, are administrative, he said."It takes a lot more time than you think,"he said.Denniston prefers the hands-on aspects of coaching.He coaches four teams: two recreational teams, one traveling team, and a pre-travel team.Recreational teams are for younger children who play for fun. Traveling teams are high school and middle school aged and play competitively. The pre-travel team is a new concept to get youths who want to play on the traveling team to practice together before they play competitively.Traveling teams have about 15 to 20 youths, while recreation teams have fewer. A team for those under 6, for example, might only have six players.In the Butler association, about 600 players participated in the fall. The number involved each spring and fall ranges from 600 to 850, Denniston said.Pam Sharbaugh, president of the Knoch Area Soccer Association, said that group has 300 players. Thirty teams are organized into recreational and traveling teams.
"We'll take anyone who wants to come and play," she said.Players are eligible from age 4 through their senior year of high school.The teams play one game each week of the eight-week season. Travel teams may travel up to an hour from home to compete.Additionally, teams practice an average of once per week, Sharbaugh said.One aspect is different from varsity soccer at high schools — players get equal playing time.Mike Magliocca, president of the Slippery Rock Youth Soccer Association, said between 130 and 180 players participate each fall and spring season in that organization.Over the years, six of those participants have been his own children. One started playing and he started coaching. After four years as a coach, Magliocca took the position as president, which he has had for four years."I oversee everything. Help coordinate equipment. I do everything down to if a line needs painted," he said.Sharbaugh said it's amazing that nearly everyone involved in youth soccer is a volunteer."It's usually moms and dads are coaches," she said.
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