History
This history is a work in process. We encourage readers to send suggestions, additions and corrections.
Soccer formally came to town in the fall of 1934 when the sport replaced a struggling football program. The Nunda News of October 26,1934 describe how the new team formed. “Starting in with gym classes the first week of school, an entirely new sport was introduced to take the place of football. After two weeks of fundamentals a call was issued for varsity candidates to report after school. The first night 12 reported and the group has steadily grown until there are now 25 boys out for the team every afternoon. This number lends competition and all are putting up a fight for every position." In addition, two girls intramural soccer teams were formed that fall.
What made this possible was hiring the High School’s new athletic director, A. Huntley Parker Jr. He was a 1933 graduate of Springfield college Massachusetts and had earned all American honors in soccer. Parker's knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for the sport were critical to laying the found the strong foundation on which the stones the schools winning soccer tradition has rested.
Coach Parker's boys finished their rookie season undefeated. The season had only consisted of two games played against Livonia's new squad, but that didn't matter. It was enough to establish soccer as Nunda’s newest sport.
The soccer program continued to build over the next few years. The 1935 season added a third game and ended with a 1 – 1 – 1 record. Nunda joined the new Livingston County High School Soccer League organized in 1936, resulting in a total of eight games that year. The team finish with four wins, two losses ,and two ties.
Three years later the Nunda team went undefeated to become the County and Class B Champions, beating Livonia in the championship game. They repeated their County title in 1940, and beat Belfast 4–3 to win the Section V Class B Championship. The Nunda News of November 15, 1940 posted, "this is the first time in the history of the school that a team has gone on through the sectionals and copped the crown." Even the local movie theater joined the celebration, offering Coach Parker and team members one week free entertainment at the Nunda theater.
When Huntley Parker left Nunda in the spring of 1941, some thought that Nunda's high school soccer program would dissolve. But that didn't happen. Although the new coach Percy McVean, was a baseball and basketball stand out and didn't know much about soccer, he quickly learned the sport and lead the team to titles in 1941 and 42. He would continue to coach the team for over 30 years winning multiple championships along the way.
Although girls had long played soccer and gym classes and intermural programs, it wasn't until the fall of 1975 that Keshequa fielded its first girls’ soccer team. Coach Don Thompson reported in the September 11, 1975 news; "Mrs. (Kathy) Ritter has an enthusiastic group of girls out for girls soccer. They are looking forward to competing in their first interscholastic soccer program." The girls who played that year paved the way for several generations of successful soccer teams. By 2014 Keshequa girls had won seven division championships and seven sectional titles.
Part of the continued success of soccer in Nunda is due to the youth soccer program sponsored by the Nunda Kiwanis Club. Each year almost 200 boys and girls, age is 6 to 12, take part in the youth soccer program at Kiwanis Park that focuses on skills and drills. They are the future of a successful soccer program in Nunda.
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Stories
Nunda's 1st Sectional Soccer Championship by Bob Gelser
Readers are encouraged to contribute stories to this page. The stories can be of any length and talk about teams, seasons, outstanding individuals, coaches, or anything relating to this sport. You will be credited for the story and listed in the contributors' section found at the end of this page.
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