Sports
Viewfinder: MHAA Soccer A Kick for These Kids
Mendota Heights Athletic Association has more than 350 participants in youth soccer kicking up a storm this fall.
Running, yelling, kicking and giggling were out in force Saturday morning at Kensington Park in Mendota Heights.
Six teams of the Mendota Heights Athletic Association's youngest soccer players—four- and five-year-olds—were having a ball learning the game of soccer.
Coached by parent volunteers and members of the Visitation girls soccer team, the young players split an hour between learning the fundamentals and playing a match. There were also breaks for snacks, chatting and a couple of rolls in the grass.
Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
About 350 players ages 4 to 12 are participating in the MHAA soccer program this fall—part of the more than three million kids participating in U.S. youth soccer.
"It’s our goal at MHAA to continue to offer soccer to our families," said Sarah Macke, MHAA soccer commissioner. "Soccer is a sport that allows kids to be continuously involved while at practice or in a game, to develop athletically, to appreciate “The World's Game,” and it allows families to enjoy the benefits of this with relatively low cost and time commitment."