M.U.M. wins indoor soccer championship

Two teams of students competed in an eight-team indoor soccer league in January, with both teams making it to the final and earning first and secon place.

The students were competing against teams from Iowa City, Washington, and Ottumwa. Team manager Neo Parim said there was a strong contingent of players of Mexican origin who tried to dominate through a very physical style of play, which added to the challenge.

Both teams did well in the weeks leading up to the championship tournament, during which time each team played every other team once. The top four teams then went to the tournament on February 1.

The M.U.M. Flyers won their semifinal 5-3, and M.U.M. United won their semifinal 6-3.

Then in the spirit of camaraderie, the teams mixed and matched players for the championship match. ?It was mainly a family game because we already had the championship,? Mr. Parim said. ?It was a formality, so we just wanted to have fun and not worry about which team won or lost.?

Mr. Parim said that indoor soccer is played in an area the size of a basketball court and uses five-man teams instead of the usual 11. And he said the game is fast and tiring because the player needs to be cautious and alert all the time ? while running constantly. There?s no occasion during play when the ball is distant and the player can slow down for a moment to catch his breath.

After the championship match the teams received team trophies and each player received a small individual trophy during a post-match ceremony. ?The celebration part was great fun,? Mr. Parim said. ?There was a lot of singing and laughing.?

The matches were held at Bridge View Center. Mr. Parim said that most of the M.U.M. players were in the Computer Professionals or Accounting Professionals degree programs and will now be leaving for practicum positions. He is currently organizing teams that will involve the newly arrived students and plans to compete in a spring league.

The players on the winning teams came from around the world: Cameroon, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Holland, India, Nepal, Palestine, and the U.S.

For complete story, read the Thursday, March 5, 2009 Fairfield Ledger.