Tuscola soccer kicks off spring season

By Kayleigh Rahn
Though the frigid temperatures make it difficult to believe, the action on the northeast corner of Ervin Park is about to heat up.

Tuscola Soccer is in the final week of registration for the Spring 2019 season, and league board president Ryan Woods says they are ready for another successful campaign for the K-12 athletes.

Registration forms are due Monday, March 18 and can be found at leaguelineup.com/TuscolaSoccer. Woods says they anticipate around 120-160 kids to participate who will team six age levels of play starting with kindergartners, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, and the high school squad.

“Ultimately, the number of volunteer coaches dictates the number of teams we’re able to have in the younger levels. It’s great to see the younger parents become involved and see what goes into the league,” Woods said.

The kindergarten through U8 league is focused on building skills and learning the game while in the U10 league the teams begin to play other towns including Villa Grove, Arthur, and Tolono, Woods says. Finally, the high school team has been built over the last four years so that they are a competitive team and part of a league in Central Illinois from Olney to Paxton.

“The high school team is large enough that we are able to withstand the other high school activities,” Woods says. “We can stand to have four or five missing and still have enough to field a team. We created the league and it’s made up of mostly towns similar to Tuscola that do not have an IHSA team. It’s taken shape over the last four years.”

This year the high school league is hoping to host a conference tournament in Tuscola using the park fields and the old North Ward lot. Be on the look for the schedule and Tuscola’s game times.

The high schoolers are encouraged to referee the youngers kids’ games to experience the game from the officials’ side and to allow the younger kids to interact with the high schoolers.

“It’s a way for the younger kids to see what they have to look forward to,” Woods added.