Every year, soccer players from all around Trumbull County come together and participate in a recreational soccer league at Farmer Jim’s Indoor Soccer Complex. In Ohio, cold weather and snow cover almost every soccer field, so this indoor soccer stadium allows those to continue competing and maintaining their skills. It also allows those who may have an interest in soccer, but do not actually play the sport, to participate and have fun. The soccer league starts around mid November every year, and students from Lakeview usually make a multitude of teams.
Farmer Jims brings a unique twist to soccer, as anybody is able to play. This unique edge has allowed students from Lakeview to compete, even if they don’t play soccer.
The boys Cross Country team has made a soccer team for the past two years, going under the name Lakeview XCFC. This is because many of the cross country runners used to play soccer, and they have the endurance and skills to compete with almost any team in the league.
Lakeview Senior Luke Whitmore says, “I look forward to the Farmer Jims season every year. Our cross country team always enjoys competing and having fun in the facility, and I enjoy it too. Not only does it allow me to play more soccer, but it also allows my friends from both soccer and cross country to have fun and play soccer just for fun. I love how Farmer Jims is competitive and also fun at the same time. In actual soccer it is very serious, but in Farmer Jims you are able to play with a little more creativity and confidence. I am sad this will be my last year at Farmer Jims, but I am happy I was able to.”
Not only does Farmer Jims let people have fun together, but it also keeps those who actually play soccer in shape and maintain skill.
Lakeview Senior Lucas Redmond states, “I play for multiple Farmer Jims teams, and I enjoy it every time. It allows me to have fun and play the sport I love, and keep me on top of my game. It’s hard to find places to practice defense and shooting, and Farmer Jims allows me to work on both. Since there is such a diversity in skill, I am able to practice defending different types of soccer players. Whether that be faster players, or more skillful players, it allows me to get better every year throughout the winter.”
Another unique aspect the soccer complex brings is walls. In a normal soccer field, there are boundary lines where if the ball goes out, the other team receives the ball. In Farmer Jims, there are around 3-4 foot tall walls surrounding the entire arena. The only time the ball goes out of bounds is when it goes over these walls, hitting the net. This unique aspect leads to a completely new type of skill to the game of soccer. Players may pass the balls off the wall, or use it to get past their opponents.
This aspect also makes the goalkeeper’s job way harder, as he must now defend from three ways.
Lakeview Senior Anthony Marble-Salem says, “Most goalies hate when the players use the wall to score, but I love it. It challenges me to quickly react as the ball is bouncing off the walls towards the goal. Some players will kick the ball off the wall just so I react, making it easier to score, but I have played in the facility for so long, it doesn’t phase me anymore. I can confidently say that Farmer Jims made me a better goalkeeper, and I am sad I will have to let it go.”
The Farmer Jims league is slowly coming to an end as spring approaches, but its effect on the area is not going anywhere. Farmer Jims is a stable of Trumbull County Soccer.
