The Fallon Vipers club all-girl soccer organization started in late 2018 with five players on the roster, which eventually grew to fourteen.
Their leader, Coach Orduna, began this club not only to teach kids about futbol (commonly known as soccer in the U.S. and Canada) but to share his philosophy on the fundaments of playing. “Our club focuses on the development of the players. Our coaching philosophy is completely different than most. Our fundamentals are the three C’s of futbol: cognition, competence, and character. The reason I wanted to bring this club to Fallon was because I saw the need to bring a different level of soccer to our community. We have a lot of kids in our community who love to play and a lot of kids looking to expand their soccer experience.”
While many were excited for professional baseball and college football to return, youth sports teams like The Fallon Vipers utilized out-of-the-box practicing methods during the entire period of uncertainty.
The club soccer team, with 14 girls on the roster, are training, practicing, and building as a team in the hopes of coming out strong during their 2021 season. The coach kept the organization of players and parents at ease for the entire process.
“As coaches, we faced many challenges throughout our journey... we definitely didn’t expect to deal with not being able to practice and play,” Orduna said.
Fortunately, the team found ways to continue to stay in shape, train, and connect with one another. The club follows the governor’s safety guidelines while customizing practices to meet their needs.
“There are too many risks right now in dealing with COVID-19 and having guidelines and a safety plan makes our jobs as coaches much easier,” Orduna said.
Over many zoom practices throughout the summer, the team bonded and became strong as a group and have since begun scrimmaging at the Reno Sportsdome. According to Coach Orduna, the Sportsdome is where nearly every club soccer team participates in recreational leagues as an opportunity to stay fit while they continue to work on team and player development. Orduna said he notices the team's growth in bonding and work.
“My goal once I knew we would be losing our season was to find ways to motivate my team. Our girls have built strong relationships among themselves and love and care for each other so much. I am truly amazed of all the work the girls have been doing throughout this pandemic,” Orduna said, “It’s been a lot of fun and work to get all of the girls to learn and adapt to play the beautiful game of soccer.”
The current team consists of Abigail Wilke, Abby Bird, Keana Williams, Raegan Johnson, Abigail Lacow, Kaylee Craig, Adyson McCart, Shaylee Orduña, Elizabeth Bergman, Poppy Stephen, LeAnne Wallace, Evie Coverston, Hannah Montalvo, and Riley Gurrero. However, the coach said they are looking to expand the roster.
“I am very optimistic about the future of SNFC – Fallon. We want to continue to grow our teams and are actively looking for players. We are also adding a boys team in 2021. We have many opportunities coming to this amazing community,” Orduna said.
While the organization is growing, they are also planning for future tournaments. According to Orduna, the club anticipates hosting two tournaments in the spring and summer of 2021. It will be three days of soccer games with teams from Las Vegas, Elko, Winnemucca, Reno, Idaho, Salt Lake City, and California.
While things look bleak, the team and coach are optimistic.
“It has not been an easy process," admitted Orduna, "but we have overcome many obstacles, including what the pandemic has brought us. We are so thankful for all of the club organizations that have been working with us to bring this great opportunity to our beautiful city of Fallon.”
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