The Andover Predators indoor soccer team wrapped up its season in the end of January. Games were played at  Grantham Indoor, an indoor sports facility in Grantham.
“To stay in soccer shape all year, many of my players (and many who are not my players!) join a random team (during the off season) but we’ve been lucky the last two years, to have enough Andover kids sign up to play together on one team.” said Amy Makechnie, the teams volunteer coach.
Makechnie said the team does not have tryouts and all who want to play are welcome. The team did not have a sponsor this time and players just wore their jerseys from the fall soccer season.
The team was made up of 7th and 8th graders playing the U-14 coed team.
Games are played once a week on Saturdays, with no practices.
“The advantage of indoor turf soccer is the speed of the game. You have to think quickly, touch and pass the ball much faster, and have to rely on touch rather than time and physicality.” says Makechnie.” “You can also use the walls for a pass, which is fun.”
“There is no stoppage time for time outs or substitutions, you simply play really fast soccer for two 25 minute halves. “It was a fun season! We won our first game in the finals, but were beat in the semi’s, by a really skilled all-boys team from Kearsarge who play year round together – that kind of chemistry shows, and it’s something we are trying to create more of!”
Unfortunately, Grantham Indoor, Inc. has closed after 19 years in business. The building is up for sale. To continue playing indoor winter soccer, Andover players will likely have to travel to a similar facility in Bow.