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Dominic (with beard) and Cassandra Fabrizio (fourth from left) and their children (from left) Austin, Wyatt, Colton and Ryley (right), and friend Harper Bondie (second from right) watch the Oglethorpe County boys soccer team play on Rec Night.
Cassandra Fabrizio’s oldest kids, Ryley and Wyatt, dream of being soccer phenoms. While playing on Oglethorpe County rec teams, their parents want them to be exposed to a higher level of play to prepare for what’s to come.
“So if they want to go to the World Cup, they got to make it to the high school team,” Fabrizio said. “So we’re trying to get her and him just kind of familiar with their rules and how they play and what it takes to get on that team.”
The Fabrizios were in attendance as Oglethorpe County High School hosted a rec night Friday for the youth rec teams as they took on the Valdosta Wildcats.
The county’s recreation department hosts recreation nights at OCHS, where youth rec team kids are invited to watch and support various sports. The young players wear their jerseys to get free entry to the games and catch a glimpse of what playing for OCHS teams could be like in the future.
Fabrizio brought her kids out for the night for the first time.
“I really want this county to open up to soccer,” Fabrizio said. “I wasn’t a fan before, but my kids enjoyed it, and these kids are really good.”
Fabrizio said her family relocated from Maryland to Oglethorpe County when their eldest was a toddler, describing it as the best decision they’ve made.
“It’s been great. The community has been so welcoming and everybody knows my kids,” Fabrizio said. “They welcome them, and I just love it. We’re definitely keeping them in the county.”
Fabrizio also expressed appreciation for the recreation department’s acknowledgment of the sport’s growth in the county and its investment in soccer fields to foster the development of the growing talent on their teams.
“I think they need to invest in more summer programs because they have such a big break,” she said. “My husband coaches, but they have a really tough time finding coaches. So, I think maybe investing in that would definitely help because then they can have smaller teams and focus on the training that they need.”
Erich Forschler, head coach of OCHS’ boys and girls soccer teams, said he enjoys seeing families support the teams, especially young players from the rec leagues who can get a glimpse of what’s ahead.
“We just try to involve the community because a lot of the kids that are playing in rec will possibly, hopefully, one day be playing here, if they stay in Oglethorpe County and go to school here,” he said.
Forschler said that while attendance for youth night was modest this year due to it falling during spring break (it was rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts), he believes those who attended, including kids and families, would benefit from seeing their future teams in action.
“All I really hope they get from it is to have a good time and enjoy being here and watching it,” Forschler said.