LEWISTON – The women-only soccer games at the YWCA have become quite popular in building women’s confidence in the sport. Begun as coed pick-up games on Monday evenings, the YWCA found that women’s involvement began to diminish.
“It was apparent that women were interested in playing soccer, but for some reason the number of women grew smaller each week,” said Anne Craigs, executive director of the YWCA of Central Maine.
Butch Dow, maintenance supervisor at the YWCA, directs the soccer program and spoke with some of the women who had stopped coming.
“They wanted to play, but felt they were intimidated by the men who were much bigger and more powerful. The women didn’t want to get slammed around,” said Dow.
At his suggestion, the YWCA has added a women-only soccer program and invites women age 14 and older to join the program from 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays. The coed soccer program runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays.
“Many women who come to the earlier women-only program stay for the coed portion of the program, which is just what we were hoping would happen,” said Dow. “This program is a great way to get ready for the spring soccer season.”
The program is open to members and nonmembers every Monday evening. For more information, call the YWCA at 130 East Ave., 795-4050.
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