DWU Men's Soccer Blog

"BOWLING FOR KICKS" TO BE HELD MAY 17, 2008...

"Farley's Bowling for Kicks" will be held in Mitchell, SD at Village Bowl on May 17, 2008 from 7pm - 10pm. This fun filled night will benefit the DWU Men's Soccer Program!

Businesses can purchase a lane for $200. In return, that business will be able to send its' employees to Village bowl to enjoy a night filled with fun at no cost to the employees. They will get to bowl for free and enjoy all the food they can eat for free as well. In addition, there will be many other activities to enjoy including Silent Auction, a regular Auction w/professional auctioneer, and a Casino Night in which they can win "fake" money that they can use to purchase prizes!

Some of the auction items will include a weekend stay at Barefoot Resort at Terry Peak, Professional Autographed Jerseys and much, much more.

It will be a ton of fun! If you own a business and interested in a lane...simply call Village Bowl at 605.996.5583 and ask for Marty or Steve! Checks should be made out to Village Bowl w/DWU M. Soccer in the note section of the check.

Come out...enjoy the fun and support DWU Men's Soccer!

DWU SOCCER GIVES BACK TO COMMUNITY...

The Mitchell Republic Newspaper had a GREAT article in the paper on Thursday, April 17, 2008 about the DWU Soccer Program giving back to the community. Thanks go to Matt Higgins for writing a terrific article about the GOOD THINGS that are a part of DWU SOCCER!

You can read the article by clicking on this link:

DWU GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

1st Annual Golf Tournament, May 30th....

The First Annual

FARLEY'S SHAMBLE GOLF TOURNAMENT will be held on May 30, 2008 at the Wild Oak Golf Club in Mitchell, SD. The money raised from this golf tournament will benefit the DWU Men's Soccer Team! The cost is only $40 which includes all green fees and cart fees.

A "SHAMBLE" is a 2-Man Scramble format with a twist! Come out to experience Mitchell, SD very first shamble tournament. It will be a ton of fun and a great way for the community to show their support for a great group of guys that enjoys the community. We all hope to see YOU there!

April Fool's Day Already?

It is official...there is now less than one month remaining in the 2008 Spring Semester! Wow...time flies when you are having fun. Overall it has been a good semester and it is awesome to see the guys working so hard! This may be the first semester in my young coaching career that I will actually be looking forward to seeing the guys' grades at the end of the semester. I can't say that the guys have made it to ALL their classes...but, they are doing pretty good...at least when they know I am out and about making "THE ROUNDS"! I must admit, I have slacked off the last week and a half, but only because I have been very busy trying to raise some money for the DWU Soccer Program to make us even stronger than we already are. But, I can't wait to get back into the swing of checking classes...when the "boys" least expect it!

By the way...if you would like to make a donation to OUR PROGRAM, feel free to send a check to DWU Men's Soccer! ;-) This is a GREAT group of guys that you would be supporting.

Another SD Recruit....

Another South Dakota Soccer players is coming to be a student-athlete and a part of the DWU Soccer Family! Dane Hagen is the second player to have signed with us from Pierre, SD...the first time we have signed two players in one year from Pierre, SD. We are very excited to have Dane become a part of our family.  Dane along with Eric Christianson are the two players to have signed from Pierre, SD.

Two other SD players have been signed as well...GK Jordan Werner from Mitchell, SD and Lance Mohr of Aberdeen, SD.  This is a great group of young men from South Dakota to join us. The will be a nice addition with our regular recruiting class from Texas and elsewhere.

"Bravo Zulu" also goes out the Captial Journal who does a great job covering the soccer news out there in Pierre, SD! I wish we could get that kind of news coverage in the Mitchell area. Here is a link to the story....Hagen Joins DWU Soccer Team

Futsol Tournament Dates Announced...

The 2nd Annual St. Paddy's Day Class is scheduled to be played on March 21-22, 2008. Due to the holiday weekend, games will begin earlier on Friday and the tournament will end on Saturday night. The St. Paddy's Day Class Futsol Tournament will be open to both men and women.

For more information or to print a registration form, check out the website link below.

2nd Annual St. Paddy's Day Classic

Getting to Class on time....

Sure the season is over and we are well underway in the Spring semester of 2008. So, not much happening with the DWU Men's Soccer Team right? Wrong! In fact, you couldn't be more wrong. Academics is what is happening with the DWU Men's Soccer Team.  This semester, I have made a promise to my teammates...I will not fail them and they are not alone as far as academics go. So, let the fun begin! The goal each day is that EVERY player be seen at EVERYclass. How do we do know you ask? It must be the teachers making reports. Nope. It must be players watching out for each other. Nope.

Each day the walking begins and it is my personal goal to walk by every single classroom that has a soccer student-athlete in it. I have my list and I check it twice so to speak. The guys are making it to class. The guys are making it to class on time. The guys are succeeding in academics. I am very proud of them!

2008 Is Here!

Another exciting time is beginning...the 2008 Spring Semester! All the guys are straggling in one by one and anxiously beginning the new semester. I am very excited about this semester. Overall the grades were pretty good last semester...but, the Spring semester historically is a time when the guys are able to be more successful in the classroom. Last semester I didn't do a very good job being involved with the players' academics and feel like I failed them. That WILL NOT happen again! I am frantically putting schedules into a spreadsheet and will make myself a huge part of their academics this semester. Guys...don't be surprised if you show up to class and I am sitting there! ;-) My challenge to the guys is to achieve an overall grade point average of 3.0! I believe in the guys and know they can do it. I have also challenged myself to be involved every day this semester with their academics by visiting classrooms every day!

I know the guys will achieve success this semester in the classroom.

What the Fall Semester is Over?

Wow...where did time go? It is so hard for me to believe that this fall semester of 2007-08 is already here! A lot has happened in this past semester! Obviously, we didn't do as well on the season as we had hoped...but, that is going to occasionally happen. But, as I look back on what we have experienced...I see more positive than negative. Sure, our wins and losses were not what we prepared for...but, I was truly amazed and impressed seeing how the DWU players stayed positive and never gave up on each other. For the most part, that has helped them in the classroom as well.

Off the field...the guys are incredible. In our "One Goal...Making a Difference!" Campaign with the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes...it looks like we are going to raise over $8,000 to give to these organizations and save lives! That is an incredible testament to what the student - athletes of the DWU Soccer Family. I am so proud of what they are accomplishing. Many of the soccer players also volunteered their time as "Baggers for Cancer" recently where they spent time bagging groceries at the County Fair Grocery Store here in Mitchell, SD. The folks who got us involvd have been very complimentary of those young men.

I am very proud of the guys that we have here at DWU and they are doing a fantastic job in all aspects of their lives this year. They're friends and families can be very proud of them as we give thanks this holiday season.

By the way...my New's Year's resolution will be to update this blog much more often than I have this semester ;-) Talk to you next year! I KNOW that 2008 will be a GREAT year!

"One Goal...Making a Difference."

As the 2006 Champions of Character National Award Winners, the DWU Soccer Program has decided to "step it up a notch"! This year, the DWU Soccer Program has teamed up with the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes to help MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

We are asking family and friends to pledge money for each goal that is scored this season by the DWU Men's and Women's Soccer Teams. The money that is raised will go directly to the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society! Last season, 60 goals were scored during the season...so, if you were to pledge 50 cents...you would be donating $30 to these organizations at the end of the season.

We have set a goal for ourselves that each player will get $5 in pledges. If we meet this goal...we will raise over $15,000 that will be given to these fine organizations.  So far, the DWU Men's Soccer Team has $145 in pledges per goal total. It has gone so well that we believe we can reach a goal of $200 in total pledges just for the DWU Men's Team alone! Add that to what the women do and we are definitely going to make a difference. So it is definitely true....ONE GOAL really can MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others!

Please join us by making a pledge for the "One Goal...Making a Difference" Soccer Campaign!