Soccer is a sport that everyone can enjoy and it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to get kids involved, said Jeff Olson, president of the Boundary Youth Soccer Association.
Olson is looking for coaches, volunteers and players for this coming soccer season, which starts April 7.
So far, approximately 190 kids from the ages of three to 15 have registered and 40 coaches have signed up to volunteer their time.
“I know there are still about 100 kids out there waiting to register,” said Olson. “We hope to hit 280 kids this season, 300 would be awesome. We don’t have enough coaches yet either, still waiting for more of them to come out of the woodwork.”
The soccer league is just in its third season and Olson said this is the busiest time of year. Trying to organize and encourage people to come out and get involved can be a lot of work.
“This year we have hired an administrative company to take care of all the office drudge, which will be a huge help,” said Olson.
Corporate and local businesses have been generous with support and the association now has 35 to 40 different sponsors.
“We are promoting kids soccer, it’s not an elite league,” he said. “Everyone who signs up is going to play, it doesn’t matter what skill level they are.”
The league is geared at soccer for life and long-term player development. Olson has three kids of his own and all of them play soccer.
“That was my inspiration for starting the league,” he said, explaining that when he first moved into town four years ago, there was only a six-week drop-in club with three or four organizers.
So he got together with the organizer of the drop-in league, Vince Evers, and together they started the Boundary Youth Soccer Association.
This year, there will be a new introductory program, Kicks for Kids, to introduce two-and three-year-olds to the game of soccer. “We just want to create a super safe and fun environment for the kids to come and get involved,” said Olson.
Registration for a full season, which includes the spring and fall season, costs $99. “For families that can’t afford it, we also have a subsidy and for those that can’t buy gear, we buy it for them,” he said.
The league has the highest number of kids involved, compared to any other sport in the Boundary.
The coaching clinics are already underway, and the last clinic takes place this coming weekend.
If you are looking to get involved, check out www.boundaryyouthsoccer.com for more information.