On Nov. 20, Ledyard’s PALESTRA club hosted a 3v3 soccer tournament to raise money for Toys for Tots. Six teams participated in the tournament, competing with three members at a time playing indoor soccer for the first place title.

“PALESTRA’s aim is to change our world through sport,” PALESTRA advisor Eric Person said. “I think the indoor soccer tournament did that to a degree. We all had fun, competed in a healthy environment, and the money went to Toys for Tots.” Toys for Tots is a benefit organization that collects toys during November and December and distributes them at Christmas time to less fortunate children. The soccer tournament raised $90.

“The best part was playing with friends and enjoying the sport I’ve played my whole life,” senior Tyler Dalton, a member of the winning team, said.

Like Dalton, many of the players were soccer players. “A few of us are on the soccer team and we wanted to do something related to that,” senior and project leader Walter Factor said.

However, the event was not strictly just for soccer players. “We had a team of Cross Country runners and one soccer player,” sophomore Erin Gralton said. “We definitely had a disadvantage against the teams with all soccer players.” However, Gralton said that this did not take away from how much she enjoyed the event.

The only problem some of the players found was that there was an overarching majority of boy teams. “Maybe if they had more girls teams, they could have it girls versus girls and boys versus boys,” sophomore Riley Pratt said.

Alex Houdeshell, Staff Writer

Alex Houdeshell is a staff writer for the 2014-2015 Colonel. She is the Design Editor of Ledyard’s Horizons Yearbook, plays JV soccer, runs distance in indoor and outdoor track, and is President of Operation Smile.