At the beginning of the school year, I was asked by my RA if I wanted to join in on a game of soccer. I said yes and I am glad I did. I had so much fun relieving stress and celebrating the world’s greatest sport.
Every Tuesday since, I have invited people to play soccer with me. At first, the group was small with about eight players, but it has since grown. Some weeks, we gather up to 20 friends who play soccer for the love of the game. We welcome players of all skill levels. We start by picking teams and assembling the field. Since we are not a school sponsored sports team, this often means bags and shoes are used as goal posts. Some days we even have trouble finding a spot to play.
Although we are not recognized by the school and do not compete against other teams, we do have a purpose and we are serious. When we had trouble finding an open spot to play, we talked to the Hamilton Rec Center about reserving a field and were denied. Because we are not an official school organization, we are not allowed to reserve spaces that are meant to be used for teams and clubs.
As a full time student who pays tuition that helps to fund these athletic facilities, I find it ridiculous that a well meaning group of 20 soccer players do not have the right to reserve a spot. However, we continue to play the sport we love. Every Tuesday at 4 p.m, you can find us in a grassy field on campus playing soccer and hanging out with friends. We invite you to join us.

-Andrea Nieto, Student