November 2021
Club News & Updates
Mercer Island FC is our community's volunteer-led, non-profit soccer club for kids of all ages. Let’s play ball!
  • Message From Paul Bayly - MIFC Director of Soccer
  • MIFC Annual Coaches meeting
  • Congratulations to our graduating Seniors!
  • Two MIFC rec teams make the finals in the Rec Cup
The message from Paul Bayly
MIFC Director of Soccer

Let’s put the Fun back into playing soccer!

We strive to make the MIFC experience something integral to our sense of community and personal development, and wish that this extends to our kids as they play soccer and represent the real subject of all our efforts.
Before we start kicking a ball around the field and signing your child up to play the game with a club, it is best to ask ourselves why we play sports and what experience and environment we would like to help benefit the player’s overall development as a person physically and mentally.

The players' experience of the sport does not happen just at practices and games, it also happens before and after. What we wish for your kids is that they have fun, and thanks to that they keep playing and growing in a healthy way, to become active positive members of our great Islander community.

If you are faced with a decision about your child’s participation, think about why you signed your kids up.
It is rare that this has anything to do with being on a great team, it’s about just being on a team, learning about winning and losing, and playing well with others especially if these are their friends and classmates.
Don’t dissect games or practice on the way home: you might be tempted to comment on a particular play after a game or practice, but it’s better not to say anything at all.
Ask your child whether they had fun and then move on.
Remember to enjoy the games, be proud and support your player, open the door and allow them to walk through it. When you need to reset, ask yourself WHY did I sign my player up to play this sport?

Wishing everyone a great holiday season, yours
Paul Bayly
MIFC Annual Coaches Meeting
On November 7th MIFC held its Annual Rec Coaches and Board Members Meeting at the VFW Hall.

The meeting is an annual tradition that is part club business: to confirm the Board members and assign the roles for the next year, electing new board members; present the state of the club address; as well as a celebration of the club volunteers and the seniors graduating from the MIFC program.

Our voting members have gathered to elect new Board members, and this year’s newly elected or confirmed board members are:
  • David Bunker, Treasurer
  • Heidi Martin, Secretary
  • Carlo Malaguzzi – VP of Communications and Marketing
  • Colin Rigby – VP of Player and Coach Development
  • Justin Bell – VP of Juniors

The club thrives because of the support and participation of the whole community, and we welcome participation and involvement: a great thank you to the previous Board members, a warm welcome to the new ones, and... we encourage you to apply in the near future.
In case, to get information send an email to president@mifc.org describing your availability and focus.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATING SENIORS!!
Another big part of the event is honoring the graduating seniors from both rec and select teams.

This year’s graduating seniors came from 3 teams;

Girls U18 Tarhills coached by Heidi Martin. Graduating from this team this year is Margaret Matheson.

Boys 03/04 Maroon coached by Zack Foxhoven and managed by Jody Lee. The graduating players this year are Aadam Basaria, Emmett Graesser, Colson Lee, Luke Marty-McAuliff, Scott Pirak, Brycen Powell, Sam Shroff, Ethan Yang, Andrew Yeh, Kai Zettel.

Girls U19 Tigers coached by Kevin Orth. The graduating players are Marissa Magnussen, Ella Simpson, Lauren Orth, Morgan Dawson, Ava Chatalas, Spenser Elwell, Audrey Sadlier, Addie Waterman, Leela Jacob, Ava Wygant, Evan Humphrey, Hannah Hobson, Vaiva Raisys, Molly Brodsky, Emily Patacsil, Kayla Friedman, Maeve Sullivan, Jenna Patton.
We wish all of these seniors the best in their senior year and beyond.
Thank you for representing the club in your youth soccer career!



Finally, the evening’s closer was former Seattle Sounder Lamar Neagle who spoke about his journey in soccer, which included many setbacks, examples of perseverance and a message of what soccer can teach beyond just the game on the pitch. An inspiring message for all the people in the room.
Two MIFC rec teams make the finals in the Rec Cup
Congratulations to the MI Bandits 09, and the MI Rockies 07/08 who have reached the finals of their Rec Cup tournaments in the Fall 2021 season!!