LAKEVILLE - The tradition is well-recognized at LaVille. Bringing back the alumni for the annual girls alumni soccer match on the pitch at Newton Park is always a great time by everyone - current players, the alumni team, coaches, and patrons. Each alum is invited and the event drew a nice size roster in 2026 of recent grads going back to, well, let's just say that many of these ladies are veterans. "Yeah, it's always nice to have them come back. They are the names that you hear from the program coming back, stretching back ... I don't want to age anybody!," said current LaVille girls soccer coach Kevin Christy.  "I think the younger girls, the high school girls, do enjoy looking up to the veterans. "They do enjoy passing the torch and it seems like it is that same ritual. We've talked to them as far as doing a mentorship program and maybe some opportunities for the high school girls to have with them. The alumni seem more interested in a mentor program, so that will be good." According to coach Christy, the boys alumni match this summer, a conversation from the last couple of years, came to fruition in the summer of 2026. "And having the boys joining us this year was a good addition because crowd sizes are going to be bigger, the excitement is going to be a little more and more this year around both programs," explained Christy. "I think that both programs are at really good spots right now for the future, and the past honestly on the girls season. We have had good seasons in a row and we hope to continue that trend. But supporters are a massive part of that." When we asked coach Christy about adding in the guys program to the alumni stage, he said, "It's definitely been in the conversation for the last couple of years.  There was some hesitation, how are you going to handle full grown men, but honestly everyone did a really good job being aware of what this event was for. (This event) is getting bigger and bigger every year and adding the boys alumni almost doubles the size. I think they had 25 or so. Alumni on the girls side had almost 20 again. This group is very active right now in supporting this event - it's a really good place to be right now." Since the LaVille gals do not have an in-season scrimmage against another school, this gives the high school girls and the coaching staff a chance to see some things - defensively and offensively, how they react to being ahead (on the scoreboard) or behind, tied, and different skill-set. "This was a good game because we do not do a formal scrimmage against anybody as we start the season," said Christy. "We use that time to get in practice and the things we need to work on.  It was good to see us get ahead and then tied, to watch the ebb and flow of how our attitudes would go and how to handle adversity, how we handled success on some some sides. Then watching the alumni not quit was a good thing for the high school girls, to see let's not quit, let's keep driving. Overall everything was really positive. We did get to see some of the better talent we've in the school come back and they got to see some that are just out (of school) just a year, and some be out by 20 years. So overall it was good that the high school team got to see a lot of different things." In recent history, the high school girls have not beaten the alumni, although we give the 2026 team props during a tightly contested 4-2 alumni victory this go around. Coach Christy was quick in making a prognostication, "At some point this varsity team is going to beat this alumni team. It's coming! There is a little challenge for us (the HS)." The LaVille girls soccer team is scheduled to open the 2026 regular season August 18 at Westville, with a 5:30 PM kick.  The home-opener is set for August 20 against Rochester at Newton Park. Start time will be 5:30 PM EDT.