By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
From a rag-tag group of teenagers and their younger siblings running around a soccer field to more than a thousand kids on organized teams in shirts representing every color of the rainbow, Rainbow Soccer has come a long way since its inception in 1972.
The organization’s philosophy – “to tone down the heavy emphasis on winning and competition, giving people an open and protected opportunity for a shared athletic experience†– has remained constant over the years, although the organization is starting to evolve.
The recreational soccer league celebrated its 40-year anniversary last weekend with a celebration and a send-off. Vicky Brawley, who has been with the league since its inception, resigned from her position as director of Rainbow Soccer.
When Brawley first started Rainbow Soccer with her former husband Kip Ward, a soccer player at UNC, the only soccer teams in town were the UNC JV and varsity teams.
Ward saw the need for soccer in the community when students from Chapel Hill High approached UNC players to ask for help in starting a high school team in 1971.
“Those kids would go out and scrimmage with the UNC players,†Brawley said. “Kip was trying to figure out a way the kids could hone their skills. In his attempt to try and figure that out, to expose soccer to more kids and more people, Kip and the kids came up with the idea for Rainbow Soccer.â€
Being from London, Ward had grown up playing soccer and understood the positive effects starting sports at an early age could have.
In starting the league Ward recruited his friends, UNC teammates like future legendary UNC women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance and Brawley – who didn’t even play soccer – to help him coach, referee and manage the league.
“Rainbow began open to everybody,†Brawley said. “It didn’t matter if you were an incredible athlete – you could be uncoordinated and just want to be with your friends. Any skill level was fine.â€
A founding member of the Chapel Hill High soccer team and Rainbow Soccer, Tim Peck remembers the league’s beginnings.
“The first Rainbow Soccer team was mostly the high school team and the younger brothers and sisters of the team,†Peck said.
“It was sort of a funny-looking team where you had all the different ages running around together.â€
Starting with around 60 kids and quickly expanding to 18 teams in its first season, Rainbow Soccer paved the way for leagues in the area while erasing stereotypes, exhibiting a tolerant environment in a county that was still desegregating its schools.
“Rainbow started in the early ’70s when segregation was dying and everything was in a state of flux.†Brawley said.
“Boys and girls were fine, blacks and whites playing on the same team were wonderful. Even if you couldn’t pay anything you could still be involved as scholarships were available from the very beginning.â€
Despite being an experimental concept in Chapel Hill and Carrboro in the ’70s, Rainbow Soccer was immediately embraced by residents and continues to be a staple in the community.
“Literally thousands of people have played Rainbow Soccer since it started 40 years ago,†Peck said. “There is a huge soccer tribe of which Rainbow is certainly the beginnings of.â€
Mike Hickey, who has been president of the Rainbow Soccer board of directors for three of his four years on the board, will be taking Brawley’s place as director and wants to continue the league’s fun, non-competitive environment while including more skills development for the players and coaches.
Additionally Hickey wants to focus more on the nonprofit aspect of the organization through fundraisers, to help “give back to the community that gives us so much.â€
“It is something that has been in place in this community and touched many, many lives over a long period of time,†Peck said. “It is a huge family and a special experience.â€
To find out more about Rainbow Soccer, visit rainbowsoccer.org