JeffCo Soccer Club on the search for referees, athletes for upcoming programs

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With COVID-19 restrictions easing and life seemingly returning to a new “normal” post-pandemic, the return of full-scale youth soccer to the Peninsula seems inevitable.

But for Molly French and board members of the Jefferson County Soccer Club, their biggest challenge has been finding referees and youth soccer players to sign up.

The club has seen renewed interest from kids and parents for youth soccer this year, but is still lacking in numbers for referees as well as players to go back to the full leagues of the pre-pandemic times.

“This year we’ve had to recruit really hard to fill teams,” French said. “We, in years past, had lots of teams, but this year we were only able to fill four teams.”

Not unlike many high-school level and youth sports leagues locally and nationwide, the Jefferson County Soccer Club has had difficulty recruiting referees to officiate games.

“I do believe in general in the state and county, there’s been a lot of job shifting with people moving around. It’s not unique to our county; it is [the same] in Kitsap and the state,” French said of the shortage.

To counter that, the club is offering paid positions for any people interested in officiating.

“The minimum age is 13; it would be great for high schoolers, and it does help to know the game,” she said. “Now that it is a paid position, if someone wanted to be a referee for us...we reimburse people for training and it’s part online and part in-person.”

Beyond just referees, French has also seen a lack of interest from kids and parents to sign up for soccer.

“This past year, we had kids sign up for the high school level, but we weren’t able to get enough kids. I think people are ready now to get out and about,” she said.

“I want every kid to play soccer, or that wants to play soccer. We really value that that is available.”

Although the club may be facing challenges right now, the organization was in a much tougher spot when the pandemic first hit in early 2020.

“We had a full board before the pandemic hit and had all these plans to change the club, and then everything got shut down,” French said.

After a while, the soccer club was all but disbanded until French stepped in to almost-singlehandedly save the organization.

She’d been a part of the soccer club’s board for a few years, but every other board member had left after COVID-19 struck, and French was left alone to pick up the pieces.

“I was the only one left standing, so I rallied some parents from my daughters’ teams. We were able to have a full board last year,” she said.

French, along with parents and other volunteers, worked together to fill the board and bring club soccer back to the county.

“We’ve always had this call that we need to volunteer, like everywhere there’s a small community. Everyone I know [in Jefferson County] is volunteering for something,” she said.

At the end of the day, her passion for soccer and keeping the club alive stems from her daughters, who’ve been playing in the league for years.

“Getting kids active and doing something, I’m all for,” French said.

She said she values “that confidence and coaches staying with [players]. I’ve watched their skills build and their love for each other. I feel like sports are community building.”

The Jefferson County Soccer Club will be holding multiple programs throughout the year including a spring clinic, summer camp, and recreational league in the fall.

To sign up for the programs or apply to become a referee for the soccer club, visit www.jcsoccerclub.org/Default.aspx?tabid=678818.