Help build a soccer field for Northport's School

Imagine Northport, ME with an established and successful co-ed soccer program for kids in grades 6-8 that represents the Northport community with pride, teaches sportsmanship, offers soccer development and recreation opportunities to all, and brings the broader community together.

2024 was the first year for Drinkwater's program, and we need your help to make 2025 the year it takes off!

The school is working on the budget to purchase full size goals this summer, and we need your help to be able to prep the field for grass planting this spring. If we raise enough by the end of March we can start this work in April, and get the kids training on a proper pitch by the summer.

Let's create a true soccer field that's flat, no rocks, drains well, with full sized soccer goals so we can train and compete. Northport kids deserve the same resources as all the other middle schools in the midcoast. Right now, the field at the school drains poorly, has rocks that need spraypainting before practice to avoid injury, and we use small goals that fall over easily.

Last fall we hosted our home games at Point Lookout, which cost $600 in rental fees. Having our own field means we can host at home with no rental fees, and show the rest of the coed Busline League teams our Northport pride! As a parent of a player, I know what this would mean to our kids.

We're hoping to raise a total of $8,000. It'll take about $6,000 for the field prep materials and labor, but that's an estimate and we're building in a $2000 buffer. All funds will be transferred to coach Shiloh Field who is serving as the beneficiary on this fundraiser. She will then write a check for the full amount received to the Drinkwater parent teacher group (PTGandF) for this express purpose. Anything we have remaining after the costs of the field prep will go toward maintenance and equipment for the program. We'll post updates as we move through the process so donors have full transparency.

If you would prefer to make an offline donation, send your check to:

Edna Drinkwater School PTG&F (Parent Teacher Group & Friends)

Memo: soccer field fundraiser

56 Bayside Rd

Northport, ME 04849

From our amazing coach Shiloh Field:

Building a brand new soccer program takes so much commitment and dedication. We are inviting you to be a part of this exciting development and helping us build a true soccer field at Drinkwater school.

Soccer training began indoors during the late winter of 23/24: just to determine if there was interest. From there we entered into a middle school summer league. Drinkwater did not even have enough athletes to compete so we opened up participation to basically anyone in the community. And the goal of that summer league was to just have fun and try and see if we could gather enough momentum to have a real fall season of coed soccer for the first time ever at Drinkwater School. Eventually enough players were secured to form a true 11v11 coed soccer team. I was convinced we would get crushed by every team. Appleton, Camden, Hope, St. George and Lincolnville all had long established programs. But summer soccer gave us a foundation of team work and a basic understanding of the game. We could build off that.

And we did.

What was once a team basically laughed at and openly mocked became a team the opposition took seriously. We showed up focused and ready to play. Our goals went from “let’s not get crushed” to “we can compete “ to “we deserve and will win.” And we made it into the semifinals during our inaugural season: something I didn’t predict was possible. To watch those athletes light up and find joy in the game and in each other was one of the most amazing things I have been a part of.

We are now asking for your help: Join us in raising money for a real school soccer field so we can continue to make this Drinkwater program even better! Help our small school have an equal playing field- literally !

Thank you in advance for your support!

Credit for all photos: Angie Lynn Barrows