Morningside Soccer Gears Up for 41st Season

By: Beth Vassallo

Morningside Soccer has been serving neighborhood youth since 1982. Last year, the league gained new leadership after being faithfully run by Amber and Erin Lambert. I chatted with president Steph Raufer, an ER nurse and mom of three boys, to find out why she volunteered to step into this role.

Steph Raufer

Steph Raufer, Morningside Soccer League President

Beth: Hi Steph!
Steph: Hi friend!

Beth: I remember learning about Amber and Erin's decision to step down at the end-of-season banquet in 2021 and even at that time, you were leading the discussion about how we could keep the league going under new leadership. Why was it important to you that Morningside Soccer continue?
Steph: That’s a great question. My whole family has loved Morningside Soccer for years. We live in East Liberty and have really enjoyed coming to Morningside to play soccer each fall. It has such a close-knit neighborhood feeling and we see so many people that we know. Plus, it’s fun. I just wanted to see it keep going and it didn’t seem like anyone else was able to take on the president role.

Beth: What do you consider to be the league's biggest accomplishment last year?
Steph: Honestly, just having kids playing soccer. It was so amazing to me when I wandered out of the concession stand last year or emerged from the pile of soccer socks and uniforms to see that there were kids on the field playing soccer - laughing and having fun. And there were spectators - grandparents and neighbors, siblings playing on the playground and eating hot dogs. It felt really good to see all that happen when, at some point, we weren’t sure if we’d be able to get another season off the ground.

Beth: What was the most challenging aspect of running the league last year?
Steph: Definitely the amount of time it took. I wasn’t anticipating spending so much time on my computer answering emails and making schedules and going through registration details. It’s a lot of organizational mumbo jumbo, but it was worth it because it enabled us to play a lot of soccer.

Beth: What's something that surprised you about the league or the neighborhood (in relation to the league)?
Steph: I was surprised at how many adults I encountered that had participated in Morningside Soccer as children. We have a number of parent coaches who played in the league when they were growing up. I’m so glad that we can keep something going for so long that it’s become a family tradition.

Beth: How can Morningside, as a community, help support Morningside Soccer?
Steph: The community of Morningside already supports the league in so many ways. I can tell that people are excited to have it in the neighborhood because they come back year after year and contribute hours of their time to make each season happen. We also have a lot of great community partners that support us financially so that we can make it inexpensive for our athletes to play. One of the great things about Morningside Soccer is that everyone can play. If you’re 12 years old and never kicked a soccer ball, you’re welcome to join. If you’re 7 years old and already scoring goals from across the full-length field, we can accommodate that, too. The community support that we already have is wonderful. We can always use more hands to execute the weekly tasks - helping in the concession stand, setting up and tearing down the field, organizing and handing out uniforms, things like that. For those looking to get involved, just email me at morningsidesoccerpgh@gmail.com and tell me what you’re great at. I’d love to help connect you in a way that works best for you. If you have an hour that you’re willing to donate to Morningside Soccer, we will use it. Just let us know.

Beth: Thank you for the many hours you've already spent making this season possible. I've heard from countless families about how much they love and appreciate Morningside Soccer. You're doing a great job.
Steph: And I want to thank all of the people who have already volunteered to coach and families who have registered their kids to play. We can’t wait to see you at Natoli Field.

ABOUT MORNINGSIDE SOCCER

Morningside Soccer is open to kids of all skill levels from ages 5-16. Practice clinics start this month. The season runs from September through October and is two games a week on Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday evenings at Natoli Field.

Cyndy Tabor