Griz soccer coming to Flathead
Flathead Valley soccer fans will be treated to a special visit over the next week as the University of Montana women's soccer team arrives in Kalispell on Saturday, where it will train for its upcoming season while exploring the area via team bonding activities.
Montana head coach Neil Sedgwick chose to bring his athletes to the valley so they could get away from campus and see another part of the state while continuing to build their program.
The Grizzlies went 10-8-2 last fall, including 4-2-1 in the Big Sky Conference, after winning just three games in 2005.
More than 20 Grizzlies are from outside the state, and none are from the Flathead Valley - including their eight freshman. Sedgwick said too many Montana student-athletes go their entire careers without venturing beyond their campuses.
The Grizzlies will train just outside of Kalispell, at Flathead Soccer Camps' fields, each day from Sunday until their Aug. 24 return to Missoula. All practices are open to the public, free of charge.
Wednesday's evening practice will last from 6-7:30, allowing local high school players to watch NCAA Division I athletes after their own preseason practices. Sedgwick will give a short talk following that session, and fans may interact with him and his players.
"We're hoping that they can kind of see what that next level is," said Flathead Soccer Camps director and Flathead Force girls' coach Mike Stebbins. "Most of our kids never get to see college soccer."
The Grizzlies will make camp in the Fair-Mont-Egan School gymnasium, and jog about two miles to their practice fields before each session.
But it won't be all work and no play for the Grizzlies. They have a rafting trip planned for Tuesday, as well as excursions to Glacier National Park on Sunday and Big Mountain on Monday.
"It's going to be a great week," Sedgwick said. "As far as team building, it will be a great opportunity for them to get to know each other.
"I think the girls are really excited about it."
Sedgwick hopes the valley's residents will be enthusiastic as well.
"Certainly, we hope that they come down and watch us play," he said.
"We think it's important to expose our players and the Division I standard to other cities in the state."
The Grizzlies open their season with an exhibition match at Carroll College on Saturday before beginning their regular season by entertaining Washington State on Aug. 31.