I like that i9 programs are accessible to all, check any over aggressive behaviors on and off the court/field and have programs to recognize the players. Driving through my neighborhood it makes me smile to see all of the 'player of the week' signs. The i9 admin team in charge are engaged with the sports, know what they're doing and seem to have fun doing it!
Focus on fun and playing vs winning. Low key but meaningful sports participation!
The one piece of constructive feedback I would offer about this season was how the teams were organized. My daughter is playing in the 6/7 all girls league, and her team only has 5 players total, making it tough if even one player has to miss a week. The other three teams in the league seem to have at minimum 6 players, with the largest having 9. It felt like the teams could’ve been more evenly distributed to allow for the ability to sub and more even playing time offered across all teams in the league.
Same day practice and games! Program is well organized and pricing is reasonable. I appreciate the focus on sportsmanship values, and the openness to kids of all abilities too, makes i9 accessible to kids who otherwise might never try competitive sports.
I've coached i9 soccer on and off for a few seasons now and I can definitely say the program just gets better and more organized. The space at Marshall Middle School is awesome, though I know eventually the program may move back to Mueller Park.
I am also a huge fan of the Sportsmanship Values; however, after a few seasons with the same kids, we may need to come up with some new ones to celebrate and learn about. Either way, it's great and I'm proud to be part of it.