Tryouts are over for the Bakersfield College soccer club and a majority of the spots on the team are taken. Also, the team is entering the semester with a new face at head coach.
Pete Fox, a former BC men’s soccer coach, has taken the responsibility as a volunteer coach for the club.
On Sept. 17, the club held practice at the Bakersfield College soccer fields, located behind the Grace Van Dyke Library, and practice was held from 5:30-7:30.
Coach Fox was available for questions after practice.
When asked about how many players made the team, Fox said, “I think we are going to keep a roster between 26 and 30.”
The practice began with a 15-minute conditioning phase. The players also took this opportunity to stretch out.
After the conditioning phase, the players took a quick water break and then proceeded to take on Fox’s next set of instructions.
Fox lined the club up at midfield and began giving the club a briefing about what he expects of them during practice. Fox also took the time to talk to some players individually.
Next, the club ran some drills and some plays that seemed designed by Fox. Players were communicating with one another throughout the drills.
The final practice drill the BC soccer club went through was the scrimmage game. The club was split up into two teams, a blue and green team, and they played for about 30 minutes.
After practice, some players were available for interviews.
Sam Blackhurst, who plays center mid for the club, is a returning player from last semester. Blackhurst said, “With tryouts and stuff it went well, we have a lot of new talent out here, a lot of new participants.” Blackhurst also noted that the expectations for the team moving forward are very high, “Honestly, anything less than a .500 season is probably a loss for us, we are definitely trying to go over that and when we go to play big schools like Northridge we just want to be able to compete.”
It was been expressed by several of the BC soccer club players that they want to push for an official men’s soccer team at Bakersfield College.
Bakersfield College has not had an official men’s team in over 10 years.
Joel Carrera, a new BC student, also plays center mid for the club said this his first year at BC but has attended West Hills College in the past.
Carrera said, “Soccer has always been something I love to do, so when I heard BC had a team and it fit my schedule, well it’s a no brainer…I just want to play soccer, doesn’t matter if it’s competitive or not.” Carrera also added, “It’s great that they are trying to bring the team back [to BC] and hopefully I’m here for that.”
“Let’s keep things in perspective, be gentlemen on the field, play hard, but also play fair, and have a fun time,” Fox said in reference to what he expects of the club.
Additionally Fox said, “It’s nice being here with them [BC soccer club] because of all the energy.
The BC men’s soccer club holds practice Monday-Thursday from 5:30 and ends about 7:30. The practice is held at the Bakersfield College soccer fields.
The club is preparing for its Oct. 4 match against Loyola Marymount University. The game starts at 1 p.m. on the road.
As far as away games are concerned, the players in the club are responsible for finding their own transportation, and the club is still looking for sponsors.