PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Year No. 3 for the local Special Olympics soccer team, the Grasshoppers, has come to an end.
Participation has grown every year, according to coach Carl Michaud, going from 14 players in the inaugural season in 2016, to 22 last year, to 27 this season.
Michaud is the head coach, but he has six assistants in his wife, Kim Guerrette Michaud, along with Brian Hamel, Allen Deeves, Terry Perley and high school students and siblings Sydney and Landon Thompson.
The Grasshoppers’ Julio Lopez, left, controls the ball against Presque Isle boys’ varsity player Zechariah Morse during a game in August. (Kevin Sjoberg)
Michaud said the creation of the team was initiated through a conversation at a high school cheering competition he had with SAD 1 Athletic Administrator Mark White.
“Mark mentioned to me, ‘Why don’t you start a Special Olympics soccer program,’” Michaud recalled. “I took that idea to our Special Olympics Area Management Team and it took off.”
Michaud said that based on the success of the Aroostook Snowdogs on the basketball court, trying to organize a soccer team made sense.
“It’s a different skill set than basketball, in fact the sport is brand new to one of our best basketball players,” Michaud said. “We have 18 who play on both teams and as soon as basketball was over, they were asking when soccer started. So they look forward to both.”
The team has been practicing twice a week for about a month and has played in three games against Presque Isle High School squads. The Grasshoppers have been victorious in all three contests, beating the Wildcat varsity boys on Aug. 30 by a score of 12-10, topping the varsity girls on Sept. 5, 8-6; and recording an 11-9 win over the junior varsity boys Sept. 17.
Michaud said the team was able to purchase full uniforms, including cleats, socks, shorts and shirts, for all 27 members through fundraisers put on by several organizations, such as the Aroostook Chapter of Knights of Columbus Polar Dip, the Norstate Federal Credit Union change drive, and the Charity Challenge golf tournament, directed by WAGM-TV sports director Rene Cloukey.
Right now, the team stays local for its games, which are played at the Gehrig Johnson Athletic Complex, but Michaud said he plans to attend a tournament in Bangor on Oct. 10 to see if it might be a fit for the Grasshoppers in future years.
Grasshoppers team and coaching staff members will be guests of honor at Presque Isle’s home games Oct. 6.
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- The Grasshoppers’ Hilary Griffin boots the ball toward the goal as PI players Jonah Hudson (10) and Zechariah Morse (9) watch during the Aug. 30 match at the Gehrig Johnson Athletic Complex. (Kevin Sjoberg)
