Students play soccer and hoc-soc at Meramec to meet the PE credit
By: DAVID KLOECKENER
Asst. Sports Editor
At STLCC, students have to take two Physical Education (PE) credits in order to graduate.
Soccer/Hoc-Soc is one of the many PE courses that students can take while attending the STLCC-Meramec campus.
While soccer can be played inside or outside, hoc-soc is a six-person version of soccer played indoors with modified rules and a smaller goal.
Soccer/Hoc-Soc instructor Kevin Kelly pointed out how many students come to play soccer, but in the class he teaches various aspects of the game and will not let students play for the sake of playing.
“I teach them the laws of the game, principles of the game, skills involved in playing and the mental part. The mental part is like the discipline,” Kelly said. “A lot of times they play, but they don’t know the game and so many others just want to come out to just play. This is an academic circumstance and learning the game is a part of the class.”
Soccer/Hoc-Soc is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-11:50 a.m. in the Meramec gymnasium. Kelly said some of the class periods take place outside when the weather allows for it.
Soccer/Hoc-Soc has a 20-student cap and generally has a variety of skill levels, according to Kelly.
Kelly pointed out how it is generally non-athletes who take his class. Athletes who play for the STLCC Archers do not always participate in his class, but on occasion there may be a few that take the class.
“Generally the athletes don’t come out for the class. It’s the regular student who comes out for the class. Some of them have soccer experience,” Kelly said. “I have one player in here who played on the volleyball team up at STLCC-Florissant Valley, but is working out with the soccer team. Instead of going back for her sophomore year to play volleyball, she’s looking to play soccer here.”
Soccer/Hoc-Soc has first come first serve availability for students. The class is a one-credit class and is geared for any student that is looking to take a PE credit for their degree or to transfer.
