Hawkeye Community College women's soccer coach Chris Perez

Hawkeye Community College women’s soccer coach Chris Perez

The fledgling athletic department at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo will grow this fall when the school begins competition in varsity men’s and women’s soccer.

Chris Perez is the coach of the RedTail women’s soccer team and says he has been trying to catch up as the season approaches. Perez is trying to build with local talent and says the reception has been good considering the program has yet to compete on the field.

“We are trying to build an Iowa based team”, said Perez. “I think the furthest kid is two hours away except we have a goalkeeper from Alaska. The kids have been very receptive.”

Perez hopes the program can experience some early success but admits it will take time to reach the level of more established programs like Iowa Western and Iowa Central.

“It is a bit of a challenge there but I think there is such good soccer in the area and enough good players that we can hopefully catch up and be right with them in a couple of years.”

Hawkeye Community College offered coed shooting this past year. The school will add track and field and cross country in 2017, add golf in 2018 and bowling in 2019.