By Matt Wright
Starting an athletic program of any kind from scratch can be challenging. No history, no prior practices, no prior seasons of playing together as a team. But Coach Rick Stearnes, also a 7th grade STEM teacher at the school (Lakeland Middle Preparatory School), did a great job laying the foundation for success. The LMPS boys soccer team held its own this season in a very tough middle school division ending the season with a 4-5-1 record. While not quite a winning record, when your division includes two different teams from Collierville (considered the premier local soccer clubs in Shelby County), plus other established teams from Bartlett, Arlington and Millington, a near even record for your first season is impressive. As Coach Stearnes said, “The players performed well for our first year as a team. We finished in the middle of the pack in a league which has some established programs and made it to the semi-final round of the league championship.”
The 22 boys on the roster consist of players in grades 6 through 8. All players had a variety of backgrounds from playing recreational soccer to competitive travel teams all around Shelby County. In fact, some of the local competitive teams (Collierville Lobos as an example) claim several Lakeland players as their own during the travel season. That background paid dividends for the Lions as it brought instant credibility to the pitch. Krista Pearce, whose son Elliot plays on the team said, “There’s a lot of good players here in Lakeland. Having our own competitive program like the Lobos will only help the school team get better.” Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department now offers a competitive soccer option and a new soccer complex will be built later this year. That program will help tremendously in feeding the middle school and eventually the high school with good players.
What’s Next?
Coach Stearnes said there was a large group of boys that tried out this year. That’s a great sign for the future and he tells parents to please have their son play club ball somewhere before next season. “I suggested to our whole team and to the students who tried out and didn’t make the cuts for our first year to continue to play on other teams at the highest skill level they can find. It helps develop their skills for all the teams. I also suggest they tryout for the Cross Country Team in the Fall to help with conditioning. Soccer is a game where you are always moving!”
The foundation is set for future success. Lions soccer is off to a great start.
