SHENANDOAH, Pa. — The room erupted in applause after the Shenandoah Valley School Board gave the green light for a new soccer program.
"I've been playing since I was little. I love the sport, and it helps me get through stuff," said Brad Monjarez, Shenandoah Valley Sophomore.
"There were a lot of soccer players who went to Nativity from Shenandoah, and I just feel like we should have our own team for Shenandoah," said Donte Garcia, Shenandoah Valley Freshman.
Kim Mentusky has been a driving force behind getting a soccer program started.
Up until snow, Shenandoah students played with Nativity BVM in Pottsville, almost a half-hour away.
Mentusky says attempts were made over the years to get a program started with no progress.
So, she took matters into her own hands.
"I applied for a grant. I went searching online, and I knew money was the issue. So, I thought I will find some money. Dick's Sporting Goods has a program called sports matter, and they gave us $17,500. That was really nice when we came to the board with a little money in hand; it helped make the decision a little easier for them," said Kim Mentusky, Parent.
Another hurdle was finding a coach to run the program, but that problem was solved, too.
Resident John Burke will volunteer his time to coach at no cost.
"I'm vice president of the Shenandoah Youth Soccer Association, and I've been down there for ten years, and I've been coaching for the last eight years. I know all the kids coming up and all the kids in the neighborhood," said Burke.
Soccer players will use the high school's football field for games and a nearby field for practices.
The official soccer season for both boys and girls at Shenandoah Valley High School will begin in the 2023-2024 school year.
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