Soccer is on the rise nationally and here locally in Marion County.

With the successes of the Central men’s and women’s soccer programs over the last 4-5 years, head coaches Mike Kobylinski and Garry Laidlaw have helped stir up more talk and more attention to their teams. They’re furthering that success by doing everything as almost one big co-ed team. Coach Kobylinski says it’s a powerful statement when even both teams’ uniforms are, well, uniform. Save for a few dates, both teams will be travelling together and playing the same opponents over the course of the 2015 season. Central men’s and women’s soccer kicks off on September 1 at home against Nebraska Wesleyan.