Fall weather is here and students within the community of all ages are loving it. In September, the USM Men’s Ice Hockey team took full advantage of hosting their annual fundraiser in town at Carters, soaking up the sunshine and cool breeze. The entire team was energy fueled greeting people and washing cars to fundraise for their hockey program. The team is comprised of Freshman through Grad year players who originate from various U.S. states and Canada. Sophomore (forward) Connor Donovan (a Massachusetts native) with his teammates (Tyler Mitchell, Zach Desmarais, Kyle Penton and Marcus Torgner shared, “we are definitely having fun before the season even gets underway. We have a new head coach, great team chemistry and comraderie on/off the ice.” Next season the Huskies will be changing conferences, for now, the team is looking forward to competing and taking it to the next level.
Gorham Youth Soccer games take place on Saturdays in the fall at the Little Falls Recreation location; organized by age/ grade level with plenty of soccer at all levels. The participation in the Rec program and GYSA is up. “I have seen soccer grow at all levels in Gorham” said Youth Sports manager Travis Grant. “We have six teams in the age range of 9-year-olds and the GYSA program has three teams which is the most teams we have seen. These numbers are telling to the entire soccer community all the way up to the high school level.”
Grant also coaches the Kiddie Kickers program that plays every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Robie Field. The program offers three sessions and is thriving. On a Tuesday practice in October, Coach Travis led the last of the evening’s Pre-K team through several fun and interactive games. Grab a soccer ball and go for a pass with your teammate, grab a soccer ball for a dribble through the arches and go for a goal; along with a favorite game of “sea monsters” to conclude the night. From a young age this type of program encourages children to keep showing-up for practices, which boosts a child’s self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. And ultimately fuels the soccer community all the way up through.
The last weekend in September GHS hosted its annual Homecoming weekend. The Varsity Football team kicked things off on Friday night. The team played their hearts out and came up with a big 41 – 7 win over the Westbrook Blue Blazes. The following evening students gathered at various locations; including Fort Hill to take photographs before the homecoming dance. There were also multiple fundraisers during the weekend and the Field Hockey team held their annual mental health awareness game that week as well. There is still time to donate to the Community Coat Drive, which has a booth set up on Saturdays at the entrance of the soccer fields.
Last and certainly not least, the GHS athletic teams are just over the midway point of their regular season. The change of calendar into October brings a new level of excitement with playoff action in the near future; with the ultimate goal being “home field advantage”. The athletes will be playing as hard as they can, with their friends, giving their team the best opportunity to win. That is exactly what the youth teams will be cheering on the “Big kids” about.