Area’s only coed soccer league gives every kid a chance to play

In at least one local school sports league, organizers don’t care how much experience a player has, how well they play, or even what sex they are.

So what do they care about?

That everyone has fun and gets an ample opportunity to play.

Which league is this anyway?

It’s called the Mid-Maine Soccer League and it currently has six teams: the Dedham School, the Graham School in Veazie, Helen Dunn School in Greenbush, St. John’s of Bangor, Bangor Christian, and Central-East Corinth.

The league is made up of teams from middle schools with small enrollments that normally would not be able to round up enough players to field full boys or girls teams.

“We’ve had the league for basketball since 1981,” said Dick Norton, league president since 1986 and Dedham’s school principal.

The league also encompasses softball and baseball, and even sponsors math meets, spelling bees, chess competitions, and cross-country meets.

“We all decided on this because most of the schools just dokids. This is the only league around I know of that plays coed.”

The league is a second-chance league of sorts not only for students at schools that normally wouldn’t field teams, but also for those at schools like Central.

Central’s team is a B team for players who didn’t make the varsity boys or girls teams.

“That’s a great thing about it,” said Dedham coach Mick Evans. “Kids not making the first team get a chance to play regularly.”

It also keeps students from getting discouraged early and not pursuing a sport. Some kids are late bloomers and those kids wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle with a league like this.

“That’s not to say this kind of league is for every school,” said Norton. “I wouldn’t advocate this as the way to go for bigger schools. It fits smaller programs like us.”

Like a glove, from all indications.

Since it was started eight years ago, the league has had no problems with the coed format.

“It’s been real smooth. The girls are genuinely good and can be just as agressive or physical as the boys at this age,” explained Evans.

The only major difference setting this league apart from others, besides being coed, is the structure of the halves of the games.

Instead of the standard system of two, 40-minute halves; The Mid-Maine League uses four, 15-minute quarters to make it easier for coaches to substitute players and allow more kids to play.

“The whole idea is to have as many kids play as possible,” Norton said.

The league starts play the first week of September and continues through mid-October. Each team plays nine games. There is no postseason play. The team with the best win-loss record wins the league championship.

The average number of players on a team roster is 25.

“Even if they don’t play in high school, they’ve at least had this experience,” said Evans. “It will only benefit them later on. Playing team sports has a positive effect.”

Thanks to this league, a lot more students that otherwise might never have been part of a team will find that out firsthand.