HELENA — The end of the 20th annual Shodair Soccer Classic also brought the end to Isabella Melton’s high school career on the soccer field.
While Melton may not be playing competitively, she still plans to help run Soccer Soles, an organization that gives people an opportunity to donate used soccer equipment so that those who can’t afford the equipment can get into the sport. Melton is headed to the University of Montana this fall, which throws a wrinkle into running the mainly Helena-based program, but she’s employed the help of her cousin Mia to help with running the program in Helena.
“I thought, ‘Let’s get her started early,’ so that the program has someone running it for a long period of time,” Melton said.
Now with plans in place for the program in Helena, Melton says she hopes to continue to build the program in Missoula and other parts of the state while she’s in college.
“I’m planning on contacting the Strikers or FC Missoula over there and asking to bring the program over because I still want to coach, I still want to have this program over there, and I think it would be really interesting to help spread it across the state,” Melton said. “That would be my end goal with it.”
For more information on Soccer Soles, or if you’d like to get involved, please click here.
