PRSC shuts down after a successful season

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, November 25, 2020

The Pearl River Soccer Club is transitioning back into planning mode after seeing its fall season finish without any hiccups.

PRSC President Dave Ortmann said the majority of the organization’s teams played their final games on Nov. 14, with a few others finishing out the season on Nov. 21.

The organization was in uncharted territory heading into its fall games after having to plan everything during a pandemic.

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There were some obstacles along the way the organization had to overcome.

“In the beginning we were trying to get uniforms but the suppliers couldn’t get it to us fast enough. It took two weeks to get them. We ordered them they just didn’t come in. There was nothing we could do. At the beginning no one knew what was going to happen. Are we going to have games? Only partial games? But once Louisiana opened up we were able to get our games in,” Ortmann said.

PRSC partnered with the NorthShore League to host games in both Mississippi and Louisiana for the older age groups.

Even with all the uncertainty, and new leadership in place, Ortmann said the season was a success given the circumstances.

“We had some new board members and we had to get our feet wet. (The players and parents) were happy once it started. Overall, it ended up being a pretty good season all things considered,” Ortmann said.

Now the PRSC will start ironing out details for the spring season.

Another meeting with the NorthShore League in late January will be used to align schedules and determine the length of the season.

The current plan, which is subject to change, is for athletes to start practicing again the first week of January with games starting later in the month and running until late March or early April.

The hope is that COVID-19 will have become less prevalent in the spring, but that wasn’t the case for the fall season.

Many players and parents were coming out of quarantine to participate in the PRSC and Ortmann said the activities helped people get active again.

“Some parents were saying, ‘Thank goodness we’re outside.’ because a lot of kids went virtual when schools shut down,” Ortmann said.