HAMLET – The Richmond Adult Soccer League closed the books on its fifth soccer season the same night it opened its third consecutive summer of competitive kickball last week.
On Thursday, July 19, the La Cabana Mexican Restaurant team was crowned as the summer soccer league champion, as it defeated the Lions 3-1 for its second straight RASL title at South Hamlet Park. It now joins AS Rock as the only team to win multiple league championships (AS Rock won RASL’s first three tournaments).
The game was close for a while at 2-1, before La Cabana netted an insurance goal in the final minute of play. The Lions, a team made up friends without a corporate sponsor, have competed in the title game in four of the five seasons, and came up just short of claiming its first championship, as La Cabana didn’t lose a single contest all summer.
Across town on the same night at the American Legion Park near City Lake, RASL co-founder Chris Singletary was facilitating opening night of the adult kickball league, a branch of RASL, that gives local adults a chance to relive playground glory. Singletary, and his wife Deana, started RASL a few years ago as a way for area adults to play in competitive leagues while getting the opportunity to get out and exercise.
And while both programs have shown signs of interest from the public, Singletary noted that this summer’s soccer league saw a hit in participation numbers — something he attributed to vacations and weekday games.
“We started with eight soccer teams, and finished with seven teams after one had to drop out,” Singletary explained. “But we had a lot of heavy-rostered teams, with smallest having 14 players and the largest having 25 players.
“There were 13 teams last season, but the participation numbers went down a little because of it being summertime,” he continued. “We’d like to see the league continue to grow, as it’s a very competitive league. But it’s summer and it’s a double-edged sword — vacations and playing during the week limited the number of teams that registered.”
Two years ago, the Singletarys decided that the majority of the funds raised through the soccer and kickball leagues would go to a scholarship for Richmond Senior High School soccer players. To be eligible, a player (male or female) had to be on the RSHS soccer team for at least three years. This spring, three student-athletes, Hanna Millen (RichmondCC), Zane Ritter (UNCW) and Carter Roberson (UNC Chapel Hill) each received a $900 scholarship.
Singletary explained that any money in the general fund that is left over after paying for referees and field usage fees goes straight into the scholarship fund. To help strengthen the quality of the league, Singletary noted that officials were given a slight pay raise this time around, and wanted to express his thanks to JR Cottle, Brandon Ingram, Wayne Millen and Daniel Webb for their officiating services.
“We’re already planning a new (soccer) season, and it looks like it’s going to start in November,” Singletary said. “Teams need to have at least one female on the field at all times, and I’d like to start an over-30 league this next time around. We’ve gotten to the point that we have enough players to split up the age groups, and maybe having two leagues could help retain teams and players.”
With the idea of a new two-league format, Singletary said he’d like to try a “mini season” to “feel things out” for the future. Also seeing success is the kickball league, as it has eight teams competing this summer.
“Kickball is in its second week, and so far, it’s going really well,” Singletary commented. “We have a lot of new players and new teams this time, which is good for us. Last year’s championship team isn’t playing this year, so that opens the door for a new champion to make it three different teams in three years. Everybody who has played before, and even our new players, are having a blast.”
The kickball league plays Mondays through Thursdays from now until Monday, August 20, when a playoff bracket will start. Games start at the bottom of every hour from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and teams will play each other twice in a double round robin format, as Singletary explained they are getting “twice as many games” from last year. Following the regular season, kickballers will compete in a single-elimination tournament.
Singletary encourages locals to come out and watch the games, and says RASL is hoping people will want to donate to the scholarship fund. He also explained that both leagues are open to season and team sponsors, again with the majority of the proceeds going to RSHS soccer players. RASL puts some of its money back into Richmond athletics, as it will be a recognized donor on the soccer sponsor board for the second year in a row.
“The only thing that we really need to continue to work on is finding a permanent home to play at,” Singletary concluded. “Hamlet Parks and Recreation has been great to us, but sometimes we run into scheduling problems because of their leagues. We’d really like to have something more exclusive — a place we can call our own.”
To find out more about RASL, or how to donate to the RASL scholarship fund, contact Chris or Deana Singletary through the league’s Facebook Page “Richmond Adult Soccer League.”
