by Scott Sacry, Sports Editor
The Sabres Soccer Club was founded in 1991 and is one of the oldest youth soccer programs in the state of Montana. Bitterroot soccer legend Ralph Serrette was the driving force behind the club for most of this time. Serrette passed away in the fall of 2024 – this was a massive blow to the soccer community in the Bitterroot Valley and the state of Montana. But, more specifically, his passing left the future of the Sabres Soccer Club in limbo heading into the 2025 spring and summer club soccer season.
Coming together
Over the last year, a dedicated group from the Bitterroot soccer community stepped in to keep the club going. With the 2025 spring and summer club soccer season now over, the Sabres leadership can reflect on the lessons they learned from this year, so they can move forward as an organized and powerful force to champion affordable, competitive youth soccer in the Bitterroot Valley.
Accomplishing all of this wasn’t easy.
“Ralph was a one man show and pretty much handled everything for the club,” said Sabres board member Cathi Cook. “At the beginning of the season we came together as a board and had to figure everything out. There hadn’t been a working board for a while, Ralph just did everything, so we had to work from the ground up to figure out what needed to be done, and who would do it.”
A board was created from the local Bitterroot soccer community. Renee Endicott had helped Ralph with club registration in the past and became board president. Other board members include CJ Clark, Eric Depee, Dave Gross, Cathi Cook and Tracy Montague.
“As a group we all put on different hats and were able to get it all under control,” said Endicott. “We didn’t want the club to lose a beat. Sometimes things like this happen, and an organization will lose ground. But we wanted to make sure we kept it going to continue to provide affordable soccer in the valley.”
2025 season
The Sabres had six teams in the 2025 spring and summer season: U19 boys, U17 boys, U17 girls, U15 boys, U14 coed, and U12 coed. In total, 108 players were in the Sabres program this year, with members from all over the Bitterroot Valley, Missoula, and Frenchtown. The club also has plans to have a U10 Academy team, which will help kids transition between recreational soccer and club soccer.
The Sabres Soccer Club’s U12 coed team took 2nd place at the Montana Showcase in Helena earlier this summer. The Sabres are going strong with a new board in 2025. Photo courtesy of Cathi Cook.
The Sabres had a very successful season in terms of participation, but they also thrived on the pitch. The U19 boys team won the competitive Intermountain Cup in Missoula, the U12 coed team took 2nd at the Montana Showcase in Helena, and throughout the season the Sabres fielded competitive teams.
Affordable option
One of the major goals for the Sabres board is to provide an affordable option for soccer families. As many sports parents know, participating in travel sports can be expensive.
The cost to play for the Sabres this season was $325 per player. This is low compared to other local soccer clubs, which can cost up to $1700 to register for a travel team.
“One of the reasons we can keep the cost down is that all of us on the board are volunteers, and we have a dedicated group of volunteers and parents who help out as well,” said Endicott. “We have been able to get experienced volunteer coaches. If the club had to hire coaches and directors, then our costs would go up. We are lucky.”
Endicott continued, “It’s very important to us to keep the cost of Sabres soccer low. Not everyone can afford to pay the high prices for travel sports. We want to make sure to offer the community a very affordable option.”
The group also continued their firework stand fundraiser this year, the proceeds of which go toward the UK International Camps, which are held in August.
“With the money raised from the fireworks stands, every Sabres player gets to participate in a four and a half day camp for free,” said Endicott. “This is another added benefit of playing for the Sabres.”
Looking forward
“Now that the season is over, we can step back and assess what we did and how we move forward in the best way,” said Cook. “We want to thank everyone who helped out and participated this year, and we’re excited to continue offering affordable soccer for the valley. We’re open to everyone and try not to have a lot of hoops to jump through to register. It’s all about building relationships, building bonds, and bringing kids and families together.”
To learn more about the Sabres Soccer Club, go to sabresfc.org or their facebook page at facebook.com/SabresSoccerClub.