Twice a week, Pomona College’s South Athletic Complex turf field comes alive when the Claremont Colleges men’s club soccer team comes together. From varsity players looking to refine their skills to former high school stars who want to relive the glory of rivalry wins, the team sees a wide variety of players from different backgrounds and skill levels.
Founded in 2016 by a group of former Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) varsity soccer players, the team began as an informal gathering but disappeared in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the schools began gathering in person again in 2021, alumnus Jan Charatan PO ’23 revived the club and transformed it into a serious affair.
Since 2021, the self-dubbed “Pears” have not only served a role in allowing players to continue playing competitive soccer through college but also, according to Alex Seager HM ’27, have fostered a much-needed sense of community across the Claremont Colleges.
“A really big part of the team is just being together and making friends,” Seager said. “I think when I was a freshman, I quickly made a lot of my friends from the club. I think everyone’s bonded really well and we have a great team.”
While Seager recognizes the importance of being serious in a competitive team environment, he also explains that the club holds a lighthearted atmosphere.
“For a lot of people, after high school, that might be the last time they ever play,” Seager said. “So, everyone’s really here just for fun. I mean, it’s definitely competitive … but people are showing up just because they love to play.”
With a shared positive mindset, the club has started its season strong with a 3-2 win against Cal State Long Beach and a 0-0 draw versus San Diego State University under its belt. Players such as Russell Kuan CM ’25 acknowledge that this year’s success could be record-setting.
“In terms of talent, this is probably our best year in the last four years,” Kuan said. “We have a lot of really talented freshmen and sophomores as well as some who have gone off the [Division III] grind and wanted to stay competitive.”
Kuan said he sees this season as an opportunity for the club to reach stages they had previously reached in past seasons, noting qualifying for the Aztec Cup — a premier club soccer tournament hosting the best soccer teams from the West Coast — as one of his personal goals.
He says that winning their current division in the West Coast Soccer Association may be the only way to make it to the tournament.
“If we don’t [qualify], then we have to pay a league fee, and that’s a huge issue for our team, because we’re one of the most underfunded clubs in the 5Cs, despite being such a big sport,” Kuan said.
According to the club’s president, Ari Benveniste PO ’25, one of the hardest parts of his job has been securing funding for the club. The club usually receives around $2,500 to 3,000 annually to cover a hefty league fee of $4,200 but its budget was slashed during the 2023-24 school year.
“I spent the whole semester trying to essentially get the funding that we normally get,” Benveniste said. “I must have sent 100 emails, gone to five or 10 [Associated Students of Pomona College] meetings, was bounced around countless times, and then we never, ever got any money in the end, which was really frustrating.”
However, Benveniste has not let the financial setbacks stop him from fully enjoying the community the club has to offer.
“It’s a huge part of my social life,” Benveniste said. “It makes you feel like you’re grounded and you’re part of something bigger.”
Akiva Goren PZ ’25 stepped up as the official head coach this year and hopes to extend further the high spirit of the team. According to Goren, his motivations are less about trophies or wins and more about creating a family.
“We want, above all, just to play as a team and have everyone play for each other more than just playing for themselves,” Goren said.“This is what we’ve told the players: hard work and accountability.”
The Pears will continue their season when they face UC Riverside on the road on Saturday, Nov. 9.
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