December 2019
Club news & updates
Mercer Island FC is our community's volunteer-led, non-profit soccer club for kids of all ages. Let’s play!
  • GU Tarhills Win D2 Rec Cup!
  • Annual Meeting Recap: New Board Members and Positive Coaching!
  • MIFC Players Take Their Mercer Island Skills To College
  • Don't Miss Out on MIFC's Winter Sharpness Camp for Kids and Parents
  • Happy Holidays!
GU Tarhills Win D2 Rec Cup Finals!
The GU16 Tarhills, coached by Heidi Martin, delivered a nail-biting win against the Strikers for the D2 Rec Cup Finals. As it turns out, they had faced this opponent three other times throughout the season (with mixed results), and knew they had their work cut out for them. They adjusted their formation to counter the opponent’s strengths, and after 80 minutes of regulation, the score was tied 2-2. They then went into two 5-minute overtime periods, with no additional goals. It came down to 5 penalty kicks for each team. The Tarhills had been practicing for this possibility and it paid off. The girls who took the penalty kicks delivered, and our keeper made a clutch save against their opponent’s strongest player to secure the win. The Tarhills will advance to the State semi-finals on December 15 th at 11:00am at Starfire. If they win that game, they will play for the state championship at 4pm the same day.
Annual Meeting Recap: New Board Members and Positive Coaching!
On December 8, while the Seahawks were losing to the LA Rams, MIFC delivered a big win at its annual meeting. The membership present voted in Sarah LeClercq as VP of Recreational Soccer; Jody Kris as VP of Communications and Events; Heidi Martin as Secretary; David Bunker as Treasurer; and Aaron Byers as VP of Coach and Player Development. We honored longtime VP of Referees, Ken Robertson, for his many years of excellent service in fielding referees; managing referee schedules; and most importantly, giving his time and attention to recruiting and mentoring young referees. The Positive Coaching Alliance presented a keynote address highlighting the importance of optimal parent support for their child: keep comments positive; let the coaches coach; players play and parents cheer; tell your kids in the car that you love to watch them play and leave it at that. MIFC will be partnering with the Positive Coaching Alliance to bring a structured curriculum to our coaches and families. Stay tuned!!
MIFC Players Take Their Mercer Island Skills To College
Over the summer MIFC highlighted four graduating high school seniors who played youth soccer at MIFC, eventually joined premier or development academy teams and signed to play as student athletes for their college or university. We are equally proud of our players who played with MIFC at the rec or select levels, finished their high school career with MIFC, and sought opportunities to play at the collegiate level. MIFC instills a lifelong love of the game in its players and provides skills training that begets the ability and confidence to represent a college soccer team. Kudos to players who demonstrate the fruits of the Mercer Island Player Skills Pathway around the United States and internationally. The following players from Tom Hill's GU19 Maroon Select team graduated last June and now play wearing their college or university colors.

Ella Hensey (1st Team at Trinity College, Dublin); Lexi Shurygailo (Tulane Club Team); Lainie Martin (Villanova); Claire Molina (Claremont FC); Sarah Gest (Air Force Academy); Ella Veljovich (Whitman Club)
Registration Still Open for MIFC's Winter Sharpness and Parent Camp
OK parents - you might not be ready to join a college soccer team, but surely you can show up to sharpen your skills against the other moms and dads on the sideline - or maybe just to keep up with your kids! What else do you have to do when your player is having a blast running around in the freezing rain?!

It's not too late. Register here!
Happy Holidays From MIFC To You!
Santa hat on soccer ball
Wishing everyone a safe and joyous holiday season. Don't forget to pack your soccer ball!