Christa and Israel Blackman love soccer, so much so that they didn’t want to see the youth program end in Cherokee County.
Christa has spent her entire life in Andrews. The wife of 14 years is a busy stay-at-home mom who homeschools their four children. She’s also the president of the Cherokee County Soccer League and coaches a team.
Her husband, Israel, is vice president of the league, coaches two teams and also operates his own business, Everything Construction.
A few years ago, the league lost the soccer field its teams had been using at the former Coats American plant in Marble due to a Bitcoin operation moving in. Their soccer goals were also damaged in the process.
It looked as though they weren’t going to have another soccer season, so someone had to step up if soccer was to continue in Andrews. The Blackmans did just that.
After two other locations failed, they were able to work with the Town of Andrews, including Mayor James Reid, and the Cherokee County Recreation Department to get a new field for the soccer league at Heritage Park. That’s a big deal, because the league encompasses 21 youth teams from Andrews and Murphy.
The last couple of years, the league has had 132 registrations to play soccer. This year, registrations jumped up to 183.
Thanks in large part to the Blackmans, youth soccer in Cherokee County will continue. They also hope to grow and implement a high school group as well as an adult group for soccer.
“For us, it’s all about the kids,” Christa said. “My favorite part about soccer is how many kids can get on the field at once and be active, be a team.
“Our main focus is to give kids an equal amount of playing time. It’s not just about playing our star players. It’s about watching every kid shine in their own way and grow throughout the season.
“In the end, it’s not about soccer – it’s about connecting with the kids. It’s about watching them take what they learn on the field and apply it to life.”
If you’d like more information or want to register for future seasons, visit play4ccsl.org. You can also follow the Cherokee County Soccer League on Facebook for updates.