By: NAKIA BOLDEN
Staff Writer
A women’s soccer team will be coming to IU South Bend as soon as Fall 2020. Bruce Watson, faculty athletics representative, said that a women’s soccer team will be added after a women’s tennis and golf program. The university and athletics program strive to have an even number of women and men sports program, and the committee normally waits two years after each new program to start another one.
This is an exciting opportunity for IUSB and they have chosen a leader to coach the team.
Bobby Barnes, a three year letterman for the Ohio Wesleyan’s Bishop men’s soccer team and a former coach of the Ohio Wesleyan’s women soccer team for 19 years, will be the head coach of the new Titan women’s soccer team. According to Barnes, there will be 20 regular season games not including scrimmages, conferences and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournaments.
The season will begin around Aug. 17 and end around Nov. 2. Conferences typically begin the following week near Nov.8.
Barnes is looking forward to bringing in 20-25 players but due to late recruitment and the new program starting it will be competitive.
Tryouts for the women’s soccer program are being held in the Spring, and Barnes has been in contact with players at IU South Bend, seniors in high school and quality players at area junior colleges to find the best group of players. Barnes also coaches a U18 team in Ohio and hopes to bring several players along with him on this new adventure.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to start a women’s soccer program in a tremendous soccer area, with a first-rate education in one of the great college towns in the United States. …And all of this at an affordable price,” said Barnes. “There is great potential here and I am looking forward to the fall season. I believe we can accomplish anything we set our hearts on sooner than later.”
