Rochester Thunder in 2009 season
The Minnesota Thunder have announced they will be holding a press conference tomorrow in Rochester MN to announce a new soccer franchise for that city. The Thunder are saying this new team will be run in conjunction with local ownership and the Rochester Youth Soccer Association.
IMS is assuming this is the new PDL team that has been rumored for quite some time. Further details will be coming in a press release later today and I will get you that information when I have it. If this is a PDL team, the many D-1 and D-2 mens 4-year college soccer players that have had to leave the state to attain scholarships and play on top level teams will now have a place to play in the summer months, competing with other top PDL teams from the Midwest.
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Wow that’s great. We live in Rochester and my kids will love it.
Ya, I think it’s great also. This was no small task for the Thunder. It took quite a while to make this happen and a fair amount of money. I will have to come down to a game or so as these guys will basically be all the high school stars we saw play over the last 4 years and have now grown and matured. I’m glad for Rochester as well. They have a great club soccer program going down there.
Brian,
Yeah we do have a good program, all three of my kids play RYSA and have for years. The soccer people running RYSA know what they’re doing. This should give us a lot more exposure. I’m hoping they play at the new RCTC turf field, it’s just a mile or so from our house!
Jay
This is fantastic news. Rochester is a great untapped market and it will only create more soccer in our area. I also like the idea of Thunder Bay, Des Moines and Rochester…It is an interstate 35 (by way of US 52) show down!
Now, only if they come up with a much better name than Thunder Jr.! Please, please, please stay away from a dumb name!
If RCTC is lucky to get or makes the decision to host a high quality soccer program, like the USL, they should take the fair apporach and sponsor a mens soccer program FIRST. RCTC has a quality athetic program, a quality womens team (and coach), but they need to step up and support a sport that is stronger than most of the mens sports they currently have at RCTC. RCTC uses the high school league playoffs to make revenue off of girls and boys HS games and now, has a GREAT facility with soccer lines could make money and gain revenue from the event.
RCTC, as well as other colleges in MN, need to support mens soccer!!!!
Cam Stoltz
Head Soccer Coach and Athletic Director
Dakota County Technical College
(651) 423-8462 office (651) 423-8536 fax
http://www.goblueknights.com
Cam-
Does RCTC run up against Title IX rules with there current sport offers?
I have to be careful and dont know their exact scenario. Most school can say that, but what are they doing to correct it? I am an advocate of all mens sports, all female sports and so on. I hope everyone in in comp. of IX. It is for that reason soccer is a now a popular college womens sport gorwing 400% in the 90′s – at the college level (mens opps dropped in the 90′s) – not because AD’s thought soccer was a great womens sport. I don’t think the answer lies in the number of teams in a program, rather what you spend on each gender, opps (total of rosters), facilities and scholarships. RCTC does not have scholarships. I think in order to add a mens sport, other mens sports could be looked at, roster size, popularity in the service area of the college (youth)? How many do you have on a team and howm many do you need? I would also say the tradition aspect of a sports in college is less relevant in non revenue settings. Country club sports? Declining mens sports? That means taking a hard look at particapation – local regional and national. Soccer sits fourthv to sixth in all college sports whne looking at youth players/partic. I bet higher in MN colleges that dont have hockey.
Gender equity cant be used against minnesota mens soccer anymore. Why do we have such depth and constant growth in Boys MSHSL Soccer. Its what the community wants, not the alums and admin who played football, at least at the 95% of colleges and universities where sports, mens sports do not make money for a college.
Oh, ya – Rochester will be a great PDL local. They deserve it and do great with amt. sports. Its a great soccer town.
Gender equity may be the argument against a men’s soccer team at RCTC. I don’t know if I agree with the law either, but it is a plausible reason and others may have issue with a blanket accusation of “soccer intolerance.” Not saying I don’t agree with ya, just saying lets find out more before pushing the envelope to much.
The last thing you want is to come off as a crotchedy old man against Title IX like John Robinson (UofM Wrestling Coach), or BQ.
“The last thing you want is to come off as a crotchedy old man against Title IX like John Robinson (UofM Wrestling Coach), or BQ.”
Hahahaha. Hey, hey…..don’t be dragging me down that slippery trail your creating. Remember, where else did you find reporting on the U of M women’s team like you did here?
Right on, should be all positive and they will see the benefits of a program at their institution. But it comes down to someone presenting to them (maybe form the RYSA and its vast network). More the better (soccer). The law is absolute – I agree with it. Womens soccer is great. The politics and twisting of gender equity in principle is poor at best. Fact is, boys (kids) want to play soccer. Lots of it for the last 20-40 years. They have grown up now and go to college. Public (owned) colleges should support the interests and activities of their students as long as they have athletics (paid for by tax and student dollars). Private college (MIAC) figured this out long ago – pre Title IX enforcement. Good point on Jay R at the U. I am not sure the help vs. hurt mentality in portraying Wrestling as a be a victim of title IX politics and decisions help his cause.