If Eastern Kentucky Futball Club fulfills its goal, soccer in the area will be greatly improved in a short time.

The fledgling club, which already has 200 members, seems to be off to a roaring start.

“We had an overwhelming response with very little advertising, so to speak,” said Denny Henderson, one of the club’s founders. “We had 160 at our first tryout.”

Players have come from all across the region. The club is formed much like the West Virginia Rowdies, with age-graded teams from third grade through high school (U9 to U19).

Henderson, Hector Lazirraga and Stos Hall thought it was time for northeastern Kentucky to have a soccer club much like the highly successful Rowdies from West Virginia.

“The Rowdies are a great organization,” Henderson said. “I coached last year, too (with the Rowdies). He (Hall) had so many Kentucky girls (on a Rowdies teasm) he couldn’t play in the West Virginia State Cup or the West Virginia Open Cup. There needs to be something to offer these Kentucky kids.”

Local high school coaches will benefit the most in the long run, Henderson said.

“The main thing that we’ve lost, as far as high school soccer, is that once November hits, our players, for the most part, haven’t had an outlet to continue to grow as a player until the following June — unless they’re willing to drive to Barboursville, Charleston or Lexington,” Henderson said. “The St. Xaviers and Lexington Catholics of the world could play 10 months out of the year right at home.”

Henderson said the Eastern Kentucky Futball Club will be a competitive organization that also competes 10 months out of the year.

“It gives our region a chance to develop and compete in other areas of the state,” he said.

Henderson said there’s a level of commitment that’s expected of players but they’d work with athletes who want to play other sports. Registration for the club is $50.

However, scholarship programs have been instituted and there will be some fundraising to offset the low registration cost.

“Compared to what people are paying in West Virginia, it is ridiculously cheaper,” Henderson said. “But we won’t let economics stop a kid from reaching that potential.”

So far, the response to the club has been tremendous, Henderson said. He has enough coaches for 14 teams.

“If we grow past that, we’ll be recruiting more coaches,” he said. “This is for anybody who is wanting to engage in competitive soccer.”

Henderson said the first year will be more developmental but he expects a couple of groups to be highly competitive in their age group.

“The U17 boys and U17 girls are going to be good,” he said. “The girls are made up primarily of Russell and Ashland (high school) girls. That should be a very good team.”

Henderson is the director of coaching for the club. Lazirraga is the president, Robert Clark the vice-president, Kevin Soucyi the treasurer and Barbara Belcher the secretary.

Belcher is Henderson’s mother and she helped grow a similar program in Kernersville, N.C., when her son was young. “She’s seen it grow from grassroots to something quite big,” Henderson said.

A typical season would be 20 to 30 games, including both indoor and outdoor soccer, Henderson said.

“Success is out there,” he said. “The No. 1 thing we’re focused on is player development both on the soccer field and in the athlete’s life. We’ll help them in any endeavor.”

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.