Around Town
Around Town
For Release 12 noon Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012
By Billy Ray McKelvy
De Queen Mayor
The youth soccer program for the Parks and Recreation Department continues to grow.
When registration concluded in January, a total of 214 youngsters had signed up for the spring soccer season. That is up from 195 last year and 168 in 2010. Players range in age from four to 14.
The soccer season is scheduled to start the first week in March and conclude by March 31. Regular season games are played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. As a special event to inaugurate the new soccer field completed last year, the season will conclude with games and presentation of trophies on Saturday, March 31.
Soccer has grown steadily since the parks and recreation department tested the interest in the sport in 2007.
Since soccer is still new to the area, time is spent on teaching the game. The first 30 minutes is spent on practice and the youngsters play a game during the second half-hour.
The games have a family atmosphere with parents and spectators seated in lawn chairs around the edge of the field. With several games going on simultaneously, the park is full on game days.
The park soccer program has a spring and a fall season. Spring season is scheduled to minimize conflict with baseball and softball seasons.
Soccer is catching on as a high school sport in Arkansas and De Queen High School has produced several state championship teams.
If you’re interested in learning more about soccer, you have a good chance to see it in action at Herman Dierks Park or at a high school game.




