The 2021-2022 Blue Mountain Athletic Department has more to offer this year than in years prior. Will Lowrey, the head athletic director, pushed the idea of adding a soccer team for both men and women to the list of other sports we offer here at BMC. The addition of soccer has brought about a various amount of different cultures along with new coaching staffs and a brand new soccer facility located in our Sportsplex. The new facility includes a soccer field, bleachers for the parents and fans to come watch comfortably, dugouts for the substitutes to catch their breath, and a field house that allows the players to change along with the coaches to hold pregame/postgame meetings.
The head coach, whose pervious coaching experience took place at New Albany High School, is Caryl Vogel. I spoke with Will Lowrey regarding what made him sure that Coach Vogel was fit to fill this new role here at BMC. He responded, “It was his energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and experience. It was really a mix bag of a lot of things.” He proceeded to say, “Coach Vogel does everything the right way. I have no doubt that Coach Vogel will get this program on a very competitive level with a very quick turn around.” He informed me that the soccer team brings a lot of new culture here at Blue Mountain College.
I spoke with two members of the women’s soccer team. The first I interviewed was Inna Vannula, a freshman from Finland. I asked her if there was a culture shock when she moved to the States, especially to the little town of Blue Mountain. Inna’s response was, “I really didn’t have much of a culture shock when I moved. The main thing I noticed about the people here in Blue Mountain, was how open minded they are.” Inna’s personal goals for the upcoming season are to be a leader on her team and to grow as a player regarding skill and talent.
Another member I spoke with was Christa Byrd, who moved to Blue Mountain from Citronelle, Alabama. She is also a freshman. When I asked her what her goals were overall for her team she responded, “My goals for the team are to build better friendships and hopefully have a winning season.”
The athletic department here at Blue Mountain College is growing frequently. Although each player of the women’s soccer team is aware that this is a first year program, their mindset and determination shows through their hard work and motivation. These ladies are here to win and make a name not only for the women’s soccer program, but for BMC Athletics as a whole.
