The Iberia Soccer Association is looking to build on the success its D1 program had last year in its inaugural season.

This week’s D1 Boot Camp being held afternoons at the Louisiana PepperPlex is one step toward that goal, said ISA D1 commissioner Glen Gary. Iberia Futbol Club’s Brandon Francis is conducting the boot camp for ISA, with the help of his IFC trainers and some area high school players.

“I’m looking to get our D1 skills down so next week when we start preparing for tournaments, we don’t have to teach the basic skills, (like) how to dribble,” said Gary.

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Francis and his staff do a good job relating to the kids and giving them pointers on how to be better players, said Gary. Last year, ISA’s four D1 boys’ teams and two girls’ teams claimed several tournament championships. One team advanced to the state championship in Shreveport.

“I guess we want to build on that,” said Gary, “especially since we added four high school age D1 teams. Not only do we want to develop a good program, we also want to help these boys develop for their high school teams.”

The high school teams feature players from various schools, competing at U15, U16, U17 and U18 levels. The goal is to further soccer in the entire parish, rather than for any specific schools.

Spots also are available for boys’ ages 9, 10 and 11 for the D1 U11 Arsenal and U12 Kajun Kickers teams. Contact information for coaches of those teams is available at the ISA Web site, www.iberiasoccer.com.

ISA is accepting registration online for its upcoming fall, spring and summer seasons through July 31. ISA registrar June Shoopman said a final in-person registration will be held Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon at the PepperPlex. Parents should bring a copy of the enrolling child’s birth certificate. Registration fee is $65, which covers all three seasons.

Francis said he can remember a time not too long ago when the sport was so young in the area. The last three or four years have seen it grow, with ISA blooming to record enrollment numbers and parent involvement, and the improvement of local high school programs.

“I just want to let people know there are people like myself, Glen Gary, (ISA administrator) Steve Koch, Casey Friend, Quentin LaBiche, who have a heart for the game,” said Francis. “It’s not about the money. We want to train from elite players like the boot camp to our morning camp, which is for all kids from Iberia Parish.”

Young instructors like Friend, who recently returned to New Iberia after finishing his college soccer career at Bellevue (Neb.) University, and LaBiche, Miles Ayers and Stefan Norris, all former high school players from the city, are inspiring to their young pupils, said Francis, who want to emulate those players because they are close to their age.

Francis and Friend, who is serving as the IFC’s assistant director, both said the PepperPlex has played a big role in helping the sport expand in the area.

“The PepperPlex is one of the best things we’ve had happen,” said Francis, who rarely misses an opportunity to promote the sport he loves. “It’s amazing.”

“This is my first time playing on the facility,” said Friend. “I really like it.”

Friend said that college soccer inspired a desire in him to return to his hometown to help develop the sport.

“It’s kind of a mindset,” he said. “I wanted to move back, and help my community first.”

When he was young, Friend said, the level of play in the area wasn’t as high as it is now. His dad brought him to the sport, one of several he played as a kid. While he still likes seeing parents coaching their kids, he also sees the value of having coaches who have a deeper knowledge of the game and better training have contact with players.

“Even if it’s teaching kids once a week, there’s going to be so much improvement,” said Friend, whose longterm goals for the area include an indoor soccer facility.

Friend said he’d like to develop such a facility in the next 10 years. There are a lot of indoor soccer facilities in the north, which help teams continue to train no matter the weather conditions.

“(Soccer) is growing,” said Francis. “We want to make sure all of the kids are touched, whether it’s at the elite level, the recreational level or the real basic level. It’s a fun sport. We want them to believe they can do it.”

Friend and Francis said they both encourage youngsters to play as many sports as they’d like, not concentrating solely on soccer. That cooperative spirit helps all the sports out, and keeps kids interested.

“We encourage the (kids to play) other sports,” he said. “We’ve very cooperative when it comes to other sports, whether it’s football or basketball or whatever.”