Fall Youth Soccer kicks off in a big way

The City of Maricopa Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) Department recently kicked off the fall soccer campaign with a smashing debut at Pacana Park on October 28, 2006. The PRL Department is celebrating their one-year anniversary of offering youth soccer to the children of Maricopa. The program, which began in the fall of 2005 with 165 children, has grown into a dynamic program with over 500 children, ages 4 to 12, playing soccer on 46 teams. In total, over 1,800 people visited Pacana Park throughout the day for soccer-related activities on kickoff weekend.

“The growth has been amazing. We’ve seen a 300% increase in participation in just one year,” PRL Director Marty McDonald commented. “I think that growth is a reflection of the program and how we emphasize skill development and having fun in a controlled environment. We do not emphasize competition, nor do we publish scores, and I think parents have learned to appreciate that approach.”

Kids from the Soccer 2, MLS Division battle it out on the soccer field.

Coach John Attridge leaves the field with his team, the Wildcats, in the Soccer I (ages 4-6) Division.

Coach Jacquie Kemper provides some in-game instruction to one of her players during a match featuring 10-12 year olds.

With games starting at 8 a.m. and ending around 5 p.m., Saturdays at Pacana Park are loaded with soccer. The City of Maricopa recently hired Shay Charles as the new Sports Coordinator to manage the influx of youth activities offered by the Parks and Recreation Department. She will help program and develop youth and adult sports for the city.

“I’m excited to be a part of the city and the PRL Team,” Charles noted. “Our soccer program is truly dynamic. We have great coaches, great parents, and the kids just love game days. It’s a truly impressive experience. We’ve been watching the kids practice for the last three weeks, and they have come a long way already in their overall development. That’s the beautiful part of our program.”

Youth Sports has become a cultural phenomenon these days. According to a Michigan State University study, over 70% of kids quit sports by age 13. For professional sports, that is the equivalent of losing one potential Priest Holmes or Peyton Manning a week. In addition, there is no way of knowing the impact on the talent pool of business leaders and other professions where continued sports participation helps develop critical life skills. The City of Maricopa Youth Soccer program has been designed to teach the fundamentals of all sports in a positive and fun environment.

Kids in the 4-6 age group get ready for action.

A goalie attempts to clear the ball.

Sean Dugan models this year’s soccer uniform.

The most important reason kids cited as to why they to play was to have fun. Winning (much to the surprise of many adults) was 10th on the list, according to the Michigan State University survey. The same survey also looked at why children stopped playing sports and responses such as “I was not having fun, I lost interest and it took too much time” were cited as top reasons.

The City of Maricopa believes that every child should have a positive youth sports experience. For more information on how the PRL soccer program is set up please visit www.cityofmaricopa.net/PRL.htm to view game schedules, coaches resource books and more. The youth soccer program is offered two times throughout the year (spring and fall). Registration for the Spring 2007 season will begin in late January. For more information, please call Charles at (520) 568-9098, ext. 264.