Under-12 soccer program kicks off

The “beautiful game” is alive and well here in Fort Frances.
That point was solidified Saturday when 21 kids from the newly-formed under-12 soccer program took to the pitches at St. Francis School to work on furthering their skills.
Program organizer Sarah Noonan said more kids are signing up for soccer than hockey these days, and felt there was a void as far as soccer development was concerned.
The players meet once weekly for a 90-minute session and eventually will break into two teams (one boys and one girls).
“We focus on the basic elements, like footwork, passing, and shooting, so that they can take those skills into a game,” Noonan explained.
“Later in the summer, we’ll work on more complex elements like game strategy, but for now our focus is on the basics.”
Noonan has spent the last two years helping Shane Beckett coach the Muskie boys’ soccer team, and feels this initiative will do plenty for that program down the road.
“Youth soccer works wonders for the high school program,” Noonan remarked. “Developing the skills early on goes a long way.”
Noonan said the under-12 program also will be a nice complement to Fort Frances Youth Soccer, under which many of the kids play two games a week until the end of June.
Noonan has been pleasantly surprised with the quality of soccer here, but wants to take those skills to the next level.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect [skill-wise], but everyone has good potential,” she remarked. “But we want to develop those skills further so that they can take the next step.”
That next step would be Aug. 8-10 in Thunder Bay, when district youngsters will have a chance to try out for the regional team, which plays Ontario Cup matches against top players from other regions in the province.
Dryden and Kenora also have put together district teams that will compete for spots.
Noonan doesn’t have any exhibition or formal games scheduled before the regional tryout, but expects something might come up against either one or all of the Dryden, Kenora, or Emo groups being put together.
Rick Chambers was helping Noonan run Saturday’s practice session and will be helping teach the kids for the duration of the summer.
“He’s the ‘Mr. Soccer’ of Fort Frances,” Noonan enthused. “He’s always been really involved with youth soccer and he brings a lot of experience to the table.
“He was exactly what I was looking for to help with this.”
The pair ran the kids through technical drills Saturday before breaking into an eight-on-eight possession game that still was more geared towards ball handling and passing.
Noonan said her roster was to be set, likely at 23 players, as of today.