The Baystate Breakers began as a team of women dedicated to learning and improving their soccer skills. The group has grown to include women of varying ages, with an emphasis on five age specific teams (Over 50, Over 55, Over 60, Over 65 and Over 70 ) that compete at the annual USASA Adult Soccer Fest tournament in July.
Baystate Breakers are currently developing an Over 30 and Over 40. We are growing!
Check out our Videos from past tournaments.
History
The annual “Vets Cup,” now “Soccer Fest,” began on the West Coast in 1999. The first Over 50 Massachusetts team went to the 2000 tournament, held in Nashua N.H. The team’s primary organizer was Lois Kessin, with help from Christianne Joury and Anne Strong. Lois was managing Plough and Stars and Christianne Purple Haze. Both teams were in EMWSL. Anne was organizing a team in the Over 40 Women’s 6v6 league. The tournament team was comprised mainly of players from these three teams.
All of the 2000 tournament players had grown up before Title IX, the Federal civil rights law that broke open access for girls to sports; the players had no youth soccer experience (and limited sports opportunities of any kind in High School or College). They generally got started with soccer by watching their kids or coaching, and wanting to play themselves.
In 2000, and for the next two years, the team played as the Plough and Stars, with borrowed shirts from Lois. The original 2000 roster consisted of: Barb Meyer, Anne del Barco, Sandy Bell, Sally Butterfield, Sue Clippinger, Betsy Dickey, Pat Ebbeling, Eloise McGraw, Sue Elwyn, Deb Greenslit, Linda Kennedy, Lois Kessin, Jane Lonergan, Kathy Noonan, Emily McDermott, Anne Strong, Ellen Sullivan-Chace, Sally Whelan, Rita Wilke, and Christianne Joury. The team was coached by Rick Copland and George Crawley. Four of those players (Wilke, Greenslit, Whelan and Clippinger) played in the 2018 tournament. Rita Wilke and Deb Greenslit have played in 16 of the 18 tournament years (the most of any player). The original team was in the over 50 division.
Front Row: Katherine Noonan, Ellen McDermott, Christianne Wollaston-Joury, Sandy Bell, Lois Kessin, Deb Greenslit, Jane Lonergan.
Middle Row: Anne Strong, Sally Whelan, Anne del Barco, Pat Ebbeling, Ellen Sullivan-Chace, Linda Kennedy.
Back Row: Barb Meyer, Betsy Dickey, Sue Clippinger, George Crawley, Eloise McGaw, Sally Butterfield, Rick Copland, Rita Wilke, Sue Elwyn.
Since that first year there has been a Massachusetts team every year, except in 2003 and 2004, when the tournament was in Hawaii, and 2018, when there was no tournament, due to the COVID pandemic. In 2003, five players went to Hawaii and combined with a partial Arizona team that played as the Desert Dames. As the story goes, the two teams didn’t mesh well but their Arizona teammates really knew how to have fun. The five players were Deb Greenslit, Rita Wilke, Sue Berry, Christianne Wollaston-Joury and Lois Kessin.
The Bay State Breakers named themselves after the Boston Breakers professional womens team,sometime after that WUSA team was founded in 2001, possibly in 2005, after the WUSA was defunct. [The Boston Breakers arose from the ashes in 2007, and folded, again, before the 2018 season.]
Having begun as a single Over 50 team, participation had grown enough by 2006, that the Bay State Breakers added an Over 55 team. They expanded in 2010, by adding the Over 60 team, and then again in 2015, with the Over 65 team.
As the Breakers grew, organizing became more formal. A group of players created a steering committee and a mission statement. Efforts to recruit players to the teams are ongoing. Now the Over 50 and Over 55 teams have post Title IX players who bring a variety of skills and experiences to the teams, while the Over 65 and 70 teams are a home for those who hope to never stop playing.
In the first year, husbands, kids and friends came to watch and cheer. In subsequent years, as the team traveled to other states, the supporters were left behind. The tournament became a chance to spend time, both on and off the field, with soccer buddies, and to get to know new teammates. For many, being able to stay in shared housing adds greatly to the tournament experience.
The lime green shirts were originally chosen to facilitate passing (hard not to see your teammate). And, because they were unique, a second shirt would not be needed. Now after so many years and having more teams, the shirts make a statement: the Breakers are here, so watch out!
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||