Thursday, Apr. 16, 2009

What is the status of Tri-City youth soccer?

Something has been bothering me for a while.

If the quality of youth soccer around the Tri-Cities is as high as coaches and parents contend, why don't more play in the Pacific-10 Conference?

Now, before I go any further, there are the uber-talented Zimmerman brothers. Preston plays professionally in Europe, while younger brother Brandon, age 18, is in the U.S. Soccer program. Neither ever played for Pasco High.

But what really inspired my question was this winter when WSU coach Matt Potter proudly welcomed a recruiting class of 10 for his women's program.

There was no one from the Mid-Columbia.

Other than Kennewick grad Carmen Anderson, whose senior season at WSU was 2005, who else from the Tri-Cities has played for WSU in the past few years?

The situation is a bit better at the University of Washington. Kendyl Pele returns this fall as a junior after serving as co-captain of a squad that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Her season-long blog appeared on the school's Web site.)

Before Pele, I couldn't locate another Tri-City product at the UW since Hope Solo, whose college career at Montlake ended in 2002.

It's not much better for the lads, either. I found Pasco's Hans Esterhuizen on Washington's roster in 2003, but I didn't see another Tri-Citian since then.

And when it comes to the storied University of Portland, I don't see any Tri-City product for either the men or women, dating back to 2005, which is as far back as the Pilots' online rosters go.