CGCC Soccer Program

Hello, Everyone-

My name is Abrahán  Martínez, and I’m the Career Pathways Coordinator (Career Coach)  at Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC), located in  The Dalles and Hood River, OR.  Aside from my main duties as a career coach, I am now in the process of starting a soccer program at the college.  Currently, I have a men’s team and a women’s team competing in the local leagues. I have been able to fund these two teams through some college resources. Future plans are to have two official teams competing in the North West Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC). We currently do not have any athletic programs at CGCC.  Having a soccer program would bring many good things.

Positive outcomes from having a well-established soccer program would include (but not limited to these):

• Increased retention – engagement is essential in keeping students in school. CGCC would no longer be just a place where to get your education, but also a place where you and others can get together and root for a hometown team, thus creating support groups.

• Increased enrollment of minorities – as a Latino, and as an Oregonian, I can tell you that soccer is growing very rapidly in my community. In the local men’s league, there are 200 Latino players who are between the ages of 14-19.  Two of our local high schools have more than 40% of their student body composed of Latino students, and these numbers keep going up!

• School spirit and unity within the community – As many of you have experienced before, sports provide that feeling of belonging and of school pride. We want to give our students one more reason to feel proud of being ‘nooks (short for Chinook salmon, our mascot).

• Giving what our students want – Our students have explicitly stated, through focus groups, and our Academic Master Plan, that they want athletic opportunities at the college.

To start a program at CGCC, it would cost about $55,000 to $65,000 a year, broken down into the following expenses: registration fees  of $5,000/per team; uniforms   would cost about $1,800; full time coach would cost us $35,000; twenty $500 scholarships for athletes , a $5,280 payment for a lease on a shuttle bus, and $2,600 in  transportation costs (lodging and gas) ** all of these cost are annual estimates.

The college is unable to cover these costs at the moment, that’s why it has not in full swing of creating an athletic program, even with student pressure. For that reason, I come you to help this soccer program grow and succeed in changing people's lives.  Please, donate to this cause. God bless!

If you need additional information, please feel free to contact me at amartinez@cgcc.cc.or.us or 541-506-6036

Also, feel free to take a look at our college website: CGCC or our Facebook page: CGCC Facebook

Thank you!

Best-
Abrahán