On Saturday, Nov. 1st the women’s soccer team hosted a 3 v 3 soccer tournament. The funds raised by the tournament will go towards the mission trip to Costa Rica the team plans on attending this summer.
The tournament consisted of teams composed of a minimum of four people. Games lasted 15 minutes each and teams were guaranteed at least four games.
The tournament started at 10 a.m. on Saturday on the practice soccer field.
“The money we raised at this event will go towards the mission trip our team is taking to Costa Rica this summer,” said Emily Waggoner, a junior athletic training major and goalkeeper for the soccer team.
“Events like the 3 v 3 tournament are important because foreign mission trips are very expensive and we really want our entire team to go on the trip,” said Waggoner. “The more money we raise the easier it will be for everyone to come and thus the more people we will be able to reach and share the love of Christ with.”
Six teams showed up for the tournament, and the team of Dionna Linn, head women’s coach, Isaac Brooks and head men’s coach, Clovis Simas came in first and won a $40 gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings.
Julie Stauffer, the assistant coach for the women’s team said she wished there would have been more teams to participate in the event but overall the event was a success in raising money for the mission trip.
“We would have loved to have more teams participate, but overall I think the people there had fun and enjoyed the tournament. We would love to do something like this again on a bigger scale,” said Stauffer.
In 2013, several members of the women’s soccer team traveled to Eleuthera as part of their first team mission trip.
Linn, one of the members on the winning team, is a graduate assistant athletic trainer and was a senior on the women’s team at the time of the trip to Eleuthera.
“I was excited to invest in what our soccer program stands for on Saturday. I think it is commendable that our team makes it a priority to implement mission trips as a part of the college experience at Union,” said Linn.
“I had the privilege of serving with my team last fall in Eleuthera. You don’t really know your teammates until you spend countless hours paving potholes in the blistering sun or attempt sleeping in 90 degree weather. I believe it is trips like these that not only give our team the chance to share the love of Christ with people in other countries, but that also teaches us what the love of Christ looks like between players on a soccer team. I’d give to that end any day,” Linn added.
