TV soccer holds first spaghetti fundraiser
Addy Ward dribbles the ball for Tusky Valley in a game against New Philadelphia.
Spaghetti dinner fundraisers are back at the former Zoar Fire Station, now Zoar Village Hall and Event Center. This time, though, the goal is raising funds for Tusky Valley High School's soccer program.
According to Zac Marzilli, head coach of Tusky Valley’s varsity boys team, the school’s athletic booster club does a great job of supporting the teams, but more funding is always needed.
“Our booster club is amazing. They pay for a lot of our big-ticket items, but we still have to raise funds for a lot of other expenses,” Marzilli said. “Those can range from training equipment to warm-up suits and jackets for colder weather that have the TV soccer name on them. Even paying for a banquet at the end of the season to celebrate takes money.”
Nick Benner has been the assistant coach for the varsity girls soccer team for two years, assisting head coach Jimmy Digman.
“We had 18 players on our roster this year,” Benner said. “But we have a big class of new freshmen coming up, so we look to have about 23 players next year.”
The boys team fielded 21 players this year and typically has anywhere from 20-30 students join each season.
The idea of having a spaghetti dinner fundraiser in Zoar was Benner’s idea, according to Patrick Eddy, president of the TC United Soccer Association, Tuscarawas County’s nonprofit youth soccer organization.
“Nick knew I used to be a member of the fire department years ago and that I had some experience with running their spaghetti dinners, so he asked me to help set it up here,” Eddy said.
In their first attempt, the group sold 150 spaghetti dinners at $11 each. Diners were served all the spaghetti they could eat, along with a salad, dinner roll, dessert and a beverage. Carryout dinners also were available.
“We didn't advertise super hard because we didn't know how much food to buy and we were training new help,” Eddy said. “So this was kind of our test run, and then the next month, we will promote it more.”
Eddy said he hope to see the events grow in size now that they’ve gotten their feet wet and worked out the kinks. “We have dinners scheduled for the second Saturday of every month from January through April. The next one will be Jan. 11 from 4-8 p.m.”
Victory is sweet
Both the boys and girls soccer teams at Tusky Valley wrapped up successful seasons this year. The boys team advanced to the East Ohio District final for only the second time in the history of the program. The girls team made it to the district semifinal in only the third year of the program.
“We really want to thank all of our supporters because it took a lot of help to get the girls program off the ground,” Benner said.
The soccer season extends from August through October, but training and conditioning start as early as June, Marzilli said.
TC United
“Everything in soccer is club-based,” Marzilli said. “TC United is the county youth soccer program. They're kind of the local club that a lot of our kids are going to be coming from to play at the high school level. The whole idea is to help kids learn the skills that they need to come and play in high school.”
It is important for the community to support both TC United and the Tusky Valley soccer program, according to Eddy, whose daughter will play on the Tusky Valley varsity team starting next year.
“We work hard to give kids a safe and productive environment where they can learn the game of soccer and how to be active and be healthy, which will help them as they grow into young adults,” Eddy said.
Parents seeking more information on TC United can find it on Facebook at Tuscarawas County United Soccer Association. Inquiries can be sent there through Messenger. Additional information also is available at www.tcunitedsoccer.net.