‘If you can walk, you can play.?
That’s the motto for Lake Orion High School graduates Jeff Schlicht (1998), Brian Maloney (1997) and JJ Kern (1997), former LOHS varsity soccer players who are trying to put together a Lake Orion alumni soccer game for Aug. 14.
Kern said the idea was brought up years ago but ‘fizzled;? when Maloney called him about it again the three joined forces to try to find former LOHS boys varsity team players.
‘We talked to (current LOHS varsity boys soccer coach) Erick Pfeifer, and he said yes,? Kern said. ‘It’s been a lot of phone calls and emails again.?
So far about 30-40 alumni have committed to play. Kern said graduates of any year are welcome to join in the game.
‘We’re looking for anyone who played varsity soccer,? he said. ‘We have some fathers who will coach and ref…Some of the guys still play together.?
The game will be Aug. 14 at the LOHS varsity soccer field at 4 p.m., and Kern said the 2004 varsity boys team might play a scrimmage, prior to the alumni game, at 2 p.m.
‘If anyone wants to play, we’d prefer some beforehand confirmation, but if they are going to be in town that weekend, they can just show up also,? Kern said.
‘We’ve done a good job of finding (alumni players), but it’s hard to get confirmations out of the guys,? he said.
The original idea for the game was to do it as a fundraiser for the boys soccer team, but Kern said coach Pfeifer told them the LOHS athletic department was doing a good job of providing for them.
‘So we decided to set up a scholarship instead,? Kern said.
‘If everyone throws in $20-30, we can get a scholarship for a LOHS senior soccer player to go to college. We hope to start with about $500.?
Kern said the alumni game, and the scholarship, will hopefully become an annual event.
‘I’d like to see all the teams do some type of alumni thing,? he said. ‘We’ve talked about making it co-ed in a couple of years.?
Kern said they have also looked into setting up a foundation, so that leftover funds could be collected every year and added to the scholarship.
‘It maybe painful this year, but if we can get some guys out and have some fun, they’ll remember it next year,? he said.
Kern, who lives in Chicago and works as an options trader at the Mercantile Exchange, said Tom Weaver, father of LOHS varsity soccer alumni Billy and Erica Weaver, and director of the Oakland FC Dragons league, is helping out with the alumni game.
‘He’s sponsoring some t-shirts for the game,? Kern said.
Anyone interested in playing in the alumni game on Aug. 14 can contact JJ Kern at (224) 558-9260, or by email at kernyjr@yahoo.com.