The Team
Great team chemistry is expected on & off the field, and a high level of commitment & personal discipline are key ingredients for Bethany soccer players.  Bethany soccer allows the standout soccer player the opportunity to continue to play very competitive soccer on a national level, without dedicating their entire life to the sport.  The time commitment involved is demanding, but it’s not at the same level a major Division 1 program might require.  The 2 ½-3 month fall season is followed by a 16-week strength/speed/agility program, which is followed by a 5-week spring developmental season.  Players train through the summer to return to campus in August in top physical condition.  Bethany players come from all over the country, and is very much a diverse group of players.  The current roster includes players from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.  This diversity equates to a very unique, but close-knit team, and also creates a very eclectic playing style. 

Player Development
Individual and small-group work in the fall and a meaningful spring program provide the link that fuels player and personal development at Bethany.  The off-season program includes team practice, individual training, weight-lifting, and fitness training.  We expect our players to develop as players and leaders while they are here, and are committed to that development being a year-round concept.

Academics
We expect that academics will be the number one priority for all of our student-athletes during their collegiate life, with soccer coming in a strong second.  You may love soccer.  You may plan on playing professionally.  But you must prepare yourself for other aspects of life.  Academic success will assist you by forcing you to learn to time-manage, study, problem solve, and prioritize.  Our goal is to maintain a 3.0 team cumulative average.  Carrying 25+ student-athletes, a 3.0 isn’t the easiest goal to attain, but we believe that if we continue to make it a priority for our athletes, then they are more likely to succeed.  In order to accomplish this, each incoming freshman soccer player is required to attend mandatory study tables, at a minimum through their first semester here.  If the individuals’ grades reflect adequate progress, the athletes’ study time will be left up to them.  If at the end of the 1st semester, certain grade standards are not met, a coaching staff-member will work 1 on 1 with the player to help establish better study habits, to the end that their grades return to an acceptable level.

Facilities
The athletic facilities at Bethany College have for some time been quite comparable to most other colleges and universities in the region.  Within the next year and a half however, Bethany’s athletic facilities with be anything but comparable.  Within the next 12-18 months, construction will be completed on an addition to the current Stroble-Gibson Gymnasium, which will include 2 new locker rooms, a new section for athletic offices, as well as a drastically improved weight room and fitness center.  The new weight room and fitness center will more than quadruple the current weight room’s size, which with greatly improve fitness and weight training opportunities.  Additionally, within the next 6-18 months, construction will be completed on a brand new, state of the art, artificial turf soccer/football field.  The current football and track infield sits at just a shade over 65 yards wide by 120 yards long.  The new renovation however will see the current track expanded to an Olympic-sized track, and will allow for the NAIA/NCAA-optimal, 75 by 120 yard soccer field.  This addition and upgrade will allow for lighted, night matches, as well as the possibility to now host the KCAC Conference Tournament.  The soccer team will also retain it’s current field, an 80 by 115 yard natural grass, irrigated playing field for practice use.

If you choose Bethany, I guarantee the highlight of your college experience will be your involvement with the soccer team.  You’ll make the best friends you’ll ever make in your life, friends you’ll keep in touch with forever.  With marked improvement the past two seasons, and renewed efforts to become nationally competitive across the board-athletically, the future is bright at Bethany College.  We will no doubt continue to be successful - both academically and athletically.  We have an excellent university with a proud and storied past in both the classroom and on the athletic field.  If you play here, you will be striving for excellence, never mediocrity.