PENHOLD – The town's Piranhas are ready to bite.
The Penhold Minor Soccer Association is preparing to kick off the season with a new name and players eager to hit the fields.
“We have just over 100 kids so far. We had about 129 last year so we’re hoping to (sign up) another 30 kids or so this season,” said Bart Van der Loop, president of the association.
Registration deadline is April 15.
Van der Loop said the outdoor soccer season runs eight weeks, from April 30 to June 27.
“We ran a contest last year because we thought we needed a name,” he said. “We put that out to the community and Piranhas it was.”
The association, now entering its fourth season, is a member of the Central Alberta Soccer association (CASA). It has several teams in various age categories, including U-5, U-7, U-9 and U-11.
“We had a great season last year,” said Van der Loop, adding they don’t participate in playoffs in the U-10 and younger categories. “If we did manage to get a U-13 team or older, they would go to provincial playoffs.
“We would love to have some older kids this season,” he added.
Teams practise twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the older kids on the U-11 team practising Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“We start with some skills training, some practice and towards the end (of each practice) they face off against another team in that age group and have a short, friendly game,” explained Van der Loop.
He said joining the Penhold Piranhas is a great way to enjoy an outdoor sport this spring.
“It’s easy, it’s exciting and it’s well received, ” Van der Loop concluded.
To register for Penhold Minor Soccer or for more information, visit www.penholdsoccer.ca or visit Penhold Minor Soccer on Facebook.
