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In 2007, MCC-Blue River women’s soccer coach Brad Childers had one request as his squad entered its inaugural season.
Just give him five years.
Childers knew it would take some time for the Trail Blazers to develop into a contender, and they struggled early on. They finished 1-11-1 in that first season.
But as Childers predicted, things gradually improved, reaching a crescendo last Saturday as Blue River bested St. Louis Community College 3-0 in the Region XVI Tournament at MCC-Maple Woods in Kansas City.
Monett Johnson of Independence, Lauren Meinke of Grandview and Courtney Codilla – a former Blue Springs South standout – notched goals for the Blazers. Lilliana Zambrano of Kansas City also tallied a pair of assists.
“It’s been a long haul,” Childers said. “The biggest thing has been letting everybody know how good of a well-kept secret Blue River Community College is. When you look at the academics, the value for the dollar and now our athletics, it’s just extremely valuable. We’ve got everything in place.”
The victory moved the Blazers to 12-4 on the season, and earned Childers the Region XVI Coach of the Year award.
“I consider that award a memento to what those girls did for me,” Childers said. “They’re such a notable class in how they handle themselves, the character level of that group, their academics; they’re just a true joy to coach. Just to be able to be identified with those athletes is just an honor.”
Now, Blue River is just a pair of wins away from earning a berth in the NJCAA Nationals, which will be held Nov. 17 in Melbourne, Fla. First, the Blazers have to get past the NJCAA district tournament, which begins Friday at the Sporting KC Training Facility at Swope Park in Kansas City. Lewis and Clark faces Iowa Western in the first match at 11:30 a.m., with the Blazers taking on Northern Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. The championship is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday at Bingham Middle School in Independence.
“We’ve been trying to lay a foundation that’s going to both develop players and develop a team concept,” Childers said. “That takes time to get that and try to blossom at the right time and the right moment. We’ve been building on that and they’re starting to blossom.”
The team also includes Truman High School graduates Kristi Blau and Nicole McKinney, Blue Springs grads Chelsea Tilbury and Jessica Brumble, Blue Springs South grads Megan Codilla and Kirstie Warren, Fort Osage grad Valerie Resch, Grain Valley grad Meredith Kisow, Oak Grove grads Heather Runyon and Kayla Ross, Lee’s Summit grad Abby Bailey, Harrisonville’s Brianna Loveall and Anissa Imair, Denise Tovar and Taylor Eason of Kansas City.
In 2007, MCC-Blue River women’s soccer coach Brad Childers had one request as his squad entered its inaugural season.
Just give him five years.
Childers knew it would take some time for the Trail Blazers to develop into a contender, and they struggled early on. They finished 1-11-1 in that first season.
But as Childers predicted, things gradually improved, reaching a crescendo last Saturday as Blue River bested St. Louis Community College 3-0 in the Region XVI Tournament at MCC-Maple Woods in Kansas City.
Monett Johnson of Independence, Lauren Meinke of Grandview and Courtney Codilla – a former Blue Springs South standout – notched goals for the Blazers. Lilliana Zambrano of Kansas City also tallied a pair of assists.
“It’s been a long haul,” Childers said. “The biggest thing has been letting everybody know how good of a well-kept secret Blue River Community College is. When you look at the academics, the value for the dollar and now our athletics, it’s just extremely valuable. We’ve got everything in place.”
The victory moved the Blazers to 12-4 on the season, and earned Childers the Region XVI Coach of the Year award.
“I consider that award a memento to what those girls did for me,” Childers said. “They’re such a notable class in how they handle themselves, the character level of that group, their academics; they’re just a true joy to coach. Just to be able to be identified with those athletes is just an honor.”
Now, Blue River is just a pair of wins away from earning a berth in the NJCAA Nationals, which will be held Nov. 17 in Melbourne, Fla. First, the Blazers have to get past the NJCAA district tournament, which begins Friday at the Sporting KC Training Facility at Swope Park in Kansas City. Lewis and Clark faces Iowa Western in the first match at 11:30 a.m., with the Blazers taking on Northern Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. The championship is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday at Bingham Middle School in Independence.
“We’ve been trying to lay a foundation that’s going to both develop players and develop a team concept,” Childers said. “That takes time to get that and try to blossom at the right time and the right moment. We’ve been building on that and they’re starting to blossom.”
The team also includes Truman High School graduates Kristi Blau and Nicole McKinney, Blue Springs grads Chelsea Tilbury and Jessica Brumble, Blue Springs South grads Megan Codilla and Kirstie Warren, Fort Osage grad Valerie Resch, Grain Valley grad Meredith Kisow, Oak Grove grads Heather Runyon and Kayla Ross, Lee’s Summit grad Abby Bailey, Harrisonville’s Brianna Loveall and Anissa Imair, Denise Tovar and Taylor Eason of Kansas City.
