The Durango Parks and Recreation Middle School Soccer Program has grown in size, competition and trophies this spring.
It all started with a need for good local competition. Thierry Multon has coached youth soccer in Durango for the last 40 years. Multon believed there was a need for a soccer program that didn’t make its players travel far to face good competition.
A few years ago, the Parks and Recreation middle school team would only scrimmage itself on the weekend.
Things changed when Recreation Programs Manager for Parks & Recreation, Andy Grenhart, began his role in 2021. Grenhart facilitates the youth soccer program from preschool through middle school. When he began the role in 2021, the program only had 20 kids. Now the program has over 85 kids in the spring and the fall.
“I attribute all of that to a team effort,” Grenhart said. “At the end of my first spring, James Glover, whose son Elliot is in eighth grade now, came up to me and asked what we needed to do to increase the middle school numbers. I asked what he wanted and so really partnering with James specifically at the beginning and making sure we support elevated coaching. At the same time, Thierry came into the picture and was extremely motivated to support Parks and Recreation’s soccer program.”
The Parks and Rec program was what the community really wanted; both parents and other coaches didn’t want to travel very far to play good soccer. Parks and Rec increased practices to twice a week, provided larger fields that allowed larger practices and increased the overall quality of the program.
Then, in the spring of 2023, the program started playing in a league against teams with players from Bayfield, Ignacio, Pagosa Springs, Mancos, Cortez and Dolores. The culmination of all this work was a league championship for Durango Parks and Rec this spring.
Parents and players both say one of the strengths of the program is the sense of community. It’s super inclusive and Durango has a strong community that supports this level of soccer. Another strength is that the program is coed. It shows all the kids the high-level skills they can strive to have. The program only costs $65 for the season, which includes uniforms. This cost helps with the inclusiveness.
Multon hopes the program can grow to over 200 kids to increase competition even more and help build Durango’s next generation of soccer stars.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
