SPORTS
Springtime soccer dreams are in the air
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Thoughts of spring may be hard to hold onto for some as February’s subzero tem- peratures forcemany people to reconsider stepping outside for any reason other than work or grocery shopping. But the extreme cold has not put a chill on advance regis- tration for the soccer season in Clarence- Rockland. “Registrations are going quite well,” said Duane Rudeen, Rockland United Soccer Club president (RUSC), during a Family Day Monday phone interview. “With the weather, it’s hard to believe that soccer is on people’s minds.” Rudeen noted that, compared to this same time last year, the pre-season registra- tion numbers for RUSC are up by 10 to 15 per cent across the divisions. He credited this in part to a new series of roadside promotional signage the club set up earlier in the year. This seasonwill see introduction of some- thing new for the RUSC. The club inaugu- rates its adult house league after seeing suc- cessful turnouts last year for its adult soccer drop-in program. «We had at least 20 or more people out on a few occasions,» Rudeen said, regarding the drop-in program attendance. RUSC officials have noted a growing popularity among local adults in playing organized recreational or competitive soccer.
If the turnout at the weekly indoor training sessions is anything to go by, this year’s youth soccer season for Clarence-Rockland is going to be a real winner.
Rudeen observed that a number of Clarence- Rockland soccer buffs go outside of the city to join soccer clubs in neighbouring towns or Ottawa to pursue their sports passion. For this season, the focus of the RUSC adult house league will be on intra-mural matches but Rudeen indicated the club is also willing to look into inter-club games too if there is sufficient interest among its
own players. The official start for all RUSC soccer ac- tion is planned for the May long weekend, assuming local field conditions are good. The club has the official tryouts for its competitive teams scheduled for this week, running from Thursday, Feb. 19 to Thurs- day, Feb. 26, at the Rockland District High School gym.
Interested individuals can check the RUSC website at www.rusc-csur.com or the club’s Facebook page for more details. «We’re also doing our best to celebrate our 20 th anniversary,” said Rudeen, adding that RUSC members are working on plans for special events this season to mark the occasion, and also looking at gathering spon- sorship support.
www.maximumpowersports.ca 613 632-2114 1 888 751-2617 1125, rue Tupper, Hawkesbury
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