Rapids gearing up for another soccer season

Besides boasting some of Montana's best prep soccer programs, the Flathead Valley is home to some talented big boys.

The Flathead Rapids are preparing for another season in the Montana Premier Soccer League. The Rapids won the nine-team men's league last year, and they begin their repeat run with tryouts next month.

Tryouts, open to current high school seniors and older, will take place on April 1 and 3 at 6 p.m. at Mike Stebbins' soccer complex near Kalispell. A map to the complex is available on the Rapids' Web site, www.flatheadrapids.com.

In its third season, the Montana Premier League includes clubs from Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, Butte and two apiece from Bozeman and Billings.

"It is, in essence, trying to get a collegiate level of play in the state," Rapids captain O'Brien Byrd said. "It's the highest level of soccer in the state, by far."

According to Byrd, nine current college players will compete for the Rapids this spring, as well as several others who have played in college, and some who will begin their collegiate careers this fall. He said the league is an ideal training ground for Montanans, who are left with few high-level soccer options after high school.

The Rapids will play exhibition games against North Idaho College and the Spokane Spiders in late April before starting their league slate on May 4. Teams play eight league games over eight weeks - consisting of double headers held every other Sunday - prior to the state tournament, which will be somewhere in the Flathead Valley in late June.

"It's going to be a lot of fun getting some new blood on the team, and trying to get the team to mold to try and win it again at the end of the league," Byrd said.

Thanks to team sponsors, individual player fees are about $50-75. The Rapids' main sponsor is Rockstar Energy Drink.

Flathead expects to keep about 24 players on its roster, including athletes from as far away as Libby. Byrd expects about 40 players to try out.

"It's just a lot of fun," Byrd said. "We train really hard. The training is very similar to what a lot of us did in college.

"We train twice a week for two hours, which doesn't seem like much, but most guys play in other leagues in between those days."

For more information, send e-mail to info@flatheadrapids.com.