About the Program

WHAT TO EXPECT!

General time commitment (see also the Calendar):
- Tue/Thu, 6-7pm practice times (U6 practices on Tuesday ONLY)
- Games on Sat
  - U6 and U8 (0900-1000 on Meadowsweet Fields)
  - U10 (1015-1130 on Pool Field)
  - U12 (1130-1245 on Pool Field)
  - U14 (1245-1400 on Pool Field)
  - See Map for field locations

Prepare for first Practice!

Find the first practice on the Calendar
- U6 and U8 practice and play on the Meadowsweet FIelds
- U10, U12, and U14 practice and play on "Pool Field"
For the first practice, players should:
- Wear soccer cleats with plastic spikes (not baseball cleats, which have a front toe spike);
- Wear shin guards, but take off all jewelry;
- Bring a water bottle full of water 💧
- Have a good attitude and listen to the coaches;
- Be prepared to RUN!! 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️
For the first practice, parents should:
- Bring payment for the season, if not already paid;
- Think of questions to ask 💬❓; and
- Not fret if your child doesn't have equipment, we have lots of donated cleats and other equipment 😀
- Bring any gently used soccer equipment to donate for other families who could benefit

History

A history of the Forest Ridge Soccer Program as told by Mrs. Paula Stibich:

Starting the program. Her husband, Marvin Stibich started the FRA Soccer Program in the Spring of 1974. They moved into their Forest Ridge house in 1967 and a few years later had their first child, Paul. Marvin had seen other neighborhoods start similar soccer programs and thought Forest Ridge could do the same despite his lack of knowledge about soccer. According to Paula, "he was one page ahead of the players in the rule book."

The Founder of the Forest Ridge Soccer Program - Marvin Stibich

Not only did Marvin have to learn the game of soccer, he worked every night to get the leagues ready for games: organizing referees, preparing the fields, filing paperwork, and scheduling games among other activities. But it was a labor of love for Marvin. Paula remembers his motivation: "he loved the children, and he wanted to create a program that would benefit the entire community." And benefit the neighborhood, he did.

The soccer program has increased the fellowship among FRA neighbors since Marvin started the program. Teaching sportsmanship among the children of the neighborhood was one of the main goals of the program. In fact, Paula was reminded of a boy with Down Syndrome who played many years in the program. Although he couldn't quite keep up with the other children on the field, he was treated with respect and kindness - the other children cheered him on, encouraging him to participate as much as anyone else.

Paula recounts that at the height of the program there were over 480 players (22 teams of nearly 22 children for each team) participating in a season - and she and Marvin hand-delivered all the schedules to each household. Although we haven't seen those numbers in recent years, many things about the program have stayed the same since those early years. Sportsmanship is still one of the main objectives, and when the program was founded, no league standings were tracked, the games were not scored, parents volunteered, and everyone played. These features still exist today.

Remembering Marvin. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Marvin learned how to work hard and earned his Bachelor's degree at the University of Detroit. He then found a job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as an Engineer with a specialty in turbine compressors. He loved his job and wanted a short commute to work, so that's how he and Paula ended up purchasing a home in Forest Ridge. Living close to work maximized the time he could pour into his family and his community. In his limited spare time, Marvin also achieved a Masters of Business from The Ohio State University. He is remembered fondly by his wife Paula, their three children (Paul, Beth, and Mark), as well as his Forest Ridge community as a loving husband, father, and neighbor.