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Published on September 15th, 2010 | by Staples Soccer

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Varsity Parents, Alumni Lead Top Of The Hill Team Memberships

Two weeks into the Top of the Hill Team’s annual membership drive, the Staples varsity parents, and alumni of all ages, lead the pack.

Thirteen varsity families — over half of the team — are members.  Alumni support has also come in, from teams as old as 1968 and as young as 2001.

Parents of alumni — from the 1980s, 1991 and 2009 — have joined, as have 2 former classroom teachers, and several fans who simply appreciate Staples soccer.

Top of the Hill has even heard from grandparents of players — one from the ’09 team, one from the current squad.

Membership levels include All-American, All-FCIAC, All-State, Supporter and Friend.

In just 3 years, the Top of the Hill Team has assisted the entire Staples boys soccer program — varsity, JV and freshman — in many ways.  They include:

  • Additional coaching resources
  • New uniforms
  • Facility improvements including the refurbishment of the kickboard and Terrace the Hill benches
  • High definition video equipment and a technician to film and provide players with highlights for prospective college coaches
  • Transportation to state tournament games for “Superfans,” and JV and freshman players
  • Emergency medical and safety equipment
  • Winter gym time at Bedford for voluntary training with young alumni
  • Payment of referee fees in the summer league

Top of the Hill Team chairman Mark Gudis P’11 calls the membership drive “okay so far.

“What continues to be evident is that our alumni, some dating back to the ’60s, and our varsity parents, are consistently the ones who step up and drive the needed funding or volunteer.  I think they see the huge intangible benefits and the influence that our program had on them personally and on their kids, both on and off the field.

“We need to do a better job of communicating our message to the new parents in our program and the JV parents, who always struggle with TOH participation,” adds Gudis.

“Maybe until they really experience first hand everything our program has to offer and the profound effects it has on our kids, they won’t join with the same conviction.  I don’t know.

“What I do know is that we have supplemented the soccer athletic budget by a substantial amount over the last two years.  The coaches believe that has had a significant positive effect on the program.”

For more information on the Top of the Hill Team, click here — then scroll down.

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