by Moira Downes

Aside from the squeak of sneakers on a gym floor and the thud of a bouncing ball, the sound of laughter is the most distinguishable noise coming from the Pierce Middle School gymnasium on Tuesday nights.

That’s because a group of women are in there having fun — and staying in shape playing a sport they love.

Tuesday night women’s soccer has been going strong for the past five years in Milton with a core group of women, which includes coaches, former players, athletes from other sports, and total newcomers to the game. Most are over 30, and many are mothers of soccer-playing kids, though some simply come for the workout and camaraderie.

The women play pickup-style games, without referees, timers or penalties. Smaller nets are used for goals, and goalkeepers can’t use their hands. This keeps everyone moving for the whole game. If there are no subs, players take a quick break for water, but otherwise, they play the full 90 minutes of soccer.
“It’s a great way to socialize and get a workout” said Deborah Milbauer, a mother of two who has played with the league for several years. “I’ve met lots of great people through soccer…and it allows me to re-charge my mommy-batteries, so to speak.”

In fact, a Danish study published in 2010 concluded that women who play recreational soccer can dramatically improve their bone and heart health. The study involved 70 women of different ages (20-47) who had never played the game of soccer before. The women were split into 3 groups, a running group, a soccer group and a control group. After 14 weeks, the results showed that the active groups of running and soccer improved their health, balance and muscle groups in comparison to the control group. But the results also showed that the soccer group outperformed the running groups in all health indicators.

That’s only one reason why the Milton women show up week after week. Whether it’s to de-stress from a tough day at work, stay in shape to coach their own soccer teams or simply to kick a ball around with a bunch of friends, all the players agree that it’s a fun way to exercise.

“New players are always welcome,” said Margaret Carels, a player and organizer of the league. “We’ll run the Tuesday-night indoor schedule from 7 to 8:30 pm during the school year; and the cost is less than $5 per session.”

For those who may be hesitant to sign up for a full “season,” the first session is free. This league is run through the Milton Travel Soccer program and is open to all Milton residents, Carels said.

There is also a men’s league that plays immediately after the women at the Pierce gym, but their current session is full. A co-ed league plays outdoors in the spring and summer months. For more information about playing in any of these adult leagues, please contact miltonsoccer@gmail.com.