By Rich Brown

rbrown@joplinglobe.com

Two childhood buddies, who have shared their love for soccer since they were barely able to walk, have introduced their sport to Joplin in a unique way.

As if Sergio Rodriguez and Hugo Chavez didn’t have enough to be involved in as they prepared for graduation from Missouri Southern this semester, they decided to further the cause of soccer in the community through the first amateur adult league.

The idea for the Missouri Soccer League originated late last year with the first league game played last month at the Dover Hill Soccer Fields.

“I started thinking about this six months ago,” said Rodriguez, 23, who played three years of soccer at Missouri Southern. “It went from an idea to 310 players signed up and playing. It’s been amazing.”

The season was originally set to begin in March but had to be moved to April 6 due to rain. Fourteen teams play from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Sunday, with the regular season to end May 18.

“Even though we had to cancel that first week because of rain, we still had like 200 cars in the parking lot with people hoping to get to play,” Rodriguez said. “Every Sunday we have between 400 and 600 cars in our lot. Besides the players, some people just come to hang out and have lunch. There are a lot of families who bring their kids and their dogs and just walk around.”

Players range in age from 14 to (that’s right) 62.

“We thought most of our players would be from the Hispanic Community,” said Chavez, who transferred from the University of Texas-El Paso the same time that Rodriguez did and played on the Southern team in 2005. “It is actually half and half. In fact, one of our top teams, Club America, is made up of former Joplin High School players.”

Although the games are held at Dover, practice fields are a bit harder to find.

“Sometimes we have scrimmages during the week and Ed Miller (JHS soccer coach) lets us come and use the Joplin field,” said Chavez, who was born and raised in Torreon, Mexico, as was Rodriguez.

The league is divided into two groups of seven teams each. The top four teams in each group will advance to the playoffs, which begin May 25 with quarterfinals. The championship match will be at noon June 8 and be followed with the closing ceremony, including presentation of awards.

In addition, the MSL board of directors, upon recommendations from coaches, will select 16 players for an all-star team. The all-stars will travel to either Tulsa or Oklahoma City to play in a tournament against other all-star teams.

Besides Rodriguez and Chavez, the third member of the MSL board of directors is Felipe Perez, a local businessman who has coached, played, officiated and participated in soccer (including several Joplin leagues) for over 25 years.

Perez said his goal for MSL can be summed up in one word: unity.

“We want to provide a festive Sunday where people from all cultures can enjoy and learn from each other, not only through their skills in soccer but also in sportsmanship, dedication and passion for life,” he stated in an MSL press release.

Rodriguez said that after early weeks of play, all has gone well.

“There have been no complaints,” he said. “I think we are going to move forward. The first time is to learn and we are still learning. We have put a lot of work into this. We want more teams and more sponsors.”

MSL currently has 16 sponsors.

“We want to get more sponsors, a better field and great community involvement in the future,” Rodriguez said. “We are putting a lot of effort into this and we believe that it is going to be a successful project.”

Chavez also has high hopes.

“I believe the Missouri Soccer League will be an innovative league that will set the standards for any adult amateur sport league in the area,” he said. “The league will not only promote soccer but also provide a family oriented environment where the community benefits from the involvement.

“There is nothing conceptually better than soccer. Soccer is more than a game. It’s an activity that promotes and teaches the most noble and valuable morals and ethics that any individual can acquire to live a full enjoyable life.”

Rodriguez and Chavez don’t plan to stop with the MSL.

“We are also thinking of starting a summer soccer club for 15-18 year-olds,” Chavez said. “There are no leagues here for high school.”