By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

With registration complete and practices underway, The Selma youth soccer season is set to begin.

The youth soccer league is the result of a partnership between the Selma-Dallas County YMCA and the Selma Parks and Recreation Department.

The season will start Tuesday, Sept. 20 with games at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Selma Softball Complex with subsequent games being played on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with three games each night.

“We’ve got 70 to 75 kids,” said Kasey Burton, Selma-Dallas County YMCA fitness and program director. “All the kids were taken and we’ve ordered uniforms. We’ve had an equivalent turnout to last year, so I feel pretty good.”

Burton, who’s entering her first year over the soccer program, said there are three teams in the 4-through-6-year-old group and four teams in the 7-through-14-year-old group.

Burton said the process of starting the season is running smoothly.

“It’s going really well,” Burton said “We’ve got a lot of compliments, a lot of suggestions and I think we’ll have a pretty good season overall and it’ll just be fun for the kids.”

While the league registration is closed for children, Burton said the need for new coaches is always there.

“We had to cut down two teams because we didn’t have coaches and we combined them with other teams,” Burton said.

“Coaching participation has slacked. But I know everybody’s busy and it’s hard for people to stop what they’re doing and come help with the soccer teams. We’re looking for help all the time.”