FARMINGTON — Registration for the instructional soccer league for children in grades one through six will begin Tuesday, Sept. 3, at the Farmington Community Center.
The Farmington Recreation Department’s 34th annual program will be directed by Niki Fulton-Greenlaw. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, and continue Wednesday, Sept. 4, and Thursday, Sept. 5. It will end at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Registrations will not be taken over the phone.
Participants in the program will be separated into two divisions structured by school grade to promote balanced competition and equal play opportunity.
The divisional set up will be Division I, for children in grades one, two and three. Division II will be for children in grades four, five and six.
The focus of this league is to teach fundamentals, refine playing skills, improve fitness levels of the players and educate them in the rules and basic concepts of the sport of soccer. Having fun is the primary goal of the program so good sportsmanship is expected of all players and spectators; respect and support should be displayed for every player, coach and referee.
Fulton-Greenlaw has coached the Mt. Blue Middle School Girls Soccer Team for the past two years, served as the assistant coach for the University of Maine at Farmington Women’s team for 10 years and was a guest coach at the Colby and UMF summer soccer camps. She and her son, J.J., are looking forward to this season, his third, of instructional soccer in 2013, she said.
Serving as individual team coaches and game referees again will be members of the Mt. Blue girls’ and boys’ varsity and junior varsity soccer teams, as well as other volunteer students from the local high school.
In the interest of fairness, any child who participates in another fall soccer program will not be allowed to register for the Instructional Soccer League.
A standard registration fee of $25 is charged to all players. This fee enables the Recreation Department to purchase balls and other equipment for the program, trophies for all Division I and II champions and runners-up, and to furnish all volunteer coaches and referees a gift of appreciation on behalf of this program’s parents and participants.
Additionally, $1 from each player’s registration is set aside for a scholarship established by the Farmington Recreation Department in memory of Jimmy Joe Allen, a tri-captain of the 1984 Men’s Soccer Team and a coach for two years in the Instructional Soccer League. The sum collected from this gesture will be awarded to a worthy and deserving student volunteer coach in this program.
There is a $5 nonresident fee charged to participants who do not reside in Farmington, or whose parents do not pay property taxes to the town.
All players are expected to dress for games in the Farmington Recreation Department’s Youth Sports Team jersey. This numbered, reversible micro-mesh short sleeved shirt is ideal for soccer. In the warmer days of the program, a T-shirt may be worn under it. When the chilly temperatures come toward the end of the season, a turtleneck or sweatshirt underneath will keep players warm.
If sized properly, one Youth Sports Team jersey should last a participant several seasons of both Instructional Soccer and winter time Junior Pro Basketball Program and then may be easily resold or returned to the Recreation Department for other children to use. The purchase price for the Youth Sports Team jersey is $25.
Protective shin guards are optional and may be purchased for $5 a pair. Checks for shirts and shin guards need to be made out to Game Day Athletic.
To assist the Recreation Department in tracking payments for any of the above fees, the preference is to accept only personal checks or money orders. Additionally, all transactions involving program costs must take place at the Farmington Community Center to ensure proper receipting.
The program will be held at Hippach Field.
Drills will begin on Sunday, Sept. 8, for all players. Division I will be held at 12:30 p.m. and Division II at 2:15 p.m.
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