KAMLOOPS, BC –– The Kamloops Youth Soccer Association’s (KYSA’s) U7 to U12 teams begin play this weekend as the 2019 season gets underway with an Ice Breaker Jamboree that will see the teams in these age groups play several small-sided games over two days.
This event is all for fun and gives players a chance to get back into the groove of playing outdoor soccer, with close to 1200 registered players in the U7 to U12 boys and girls age groups hitting the field this weekend.
The Ice Breaker Jamboree also provides an opportunity for new and returning small-sided referees to be mentored. The KYSA works with the Kamloops Soccer Referees Association (KSRA) to provide a supportive and encouraging environment, as many of these referees will be officiating their first game ever.
On Monday (April 15), the remainder of the teams in the KYSA will take to the fields for regular league play. The association’s U4/5/6 Initiation Training Program begins on Monday, April 22.
Throughout the season, the KYSA will host three additional tournaments: the Mike Bartram Memorial Youth Soccer Tournament (for U13 to U18 teams), the Slurpee Cup (for U11 to U18 select/development teams), and the Errol Wild Memorial Mini-Soccer Festival (for U4 to U12 teams). The end of June will also see U13 to U18 teams compete in the Spring League Playoffs.
There will be the traditional summer hiatus in the months of July and August. In September, players who have registered for the fall season will regroup for a six-week program.
Meanwhile, the KYSA’s 20 U-11 to U18 boys and girls Select and Development teams have begun their participation in this year’s Thompson-Okanagan Youth Soccer League. In addition to Kamloops, the league has representation from Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Salmon Arm and Revelstoke. KYSA Select teams will be vying to qualify for various levels of Provincial Cup competitions, which take place in July.