Youth soccer has officially returned to the South Okanagan after a two-year hiatus.
Pinnacles Football Club welcomed back organized games for hundreds of local players on Saturday, April 9, at Penticton’s King’s Park for the start of the 2022 spring season.
As of Wednesday afternoon (April 13), over 1,500 youth have registered to play, the highest rate of sign-ups for the club since the middle of the last decade.
“It’s been a long and hard few years for everyone and as the restrictions lift, it’s very exciting to have children and youth back on the field connecting with old friends and making new ones while playing the game they love,” said Alan Helm, the chairperson for Pinnacles FC.
In comparison, the club received 1,295 youth registrations for its spring season in 2019.
Local players as young as three years old have signed up to play in the upcoming season, which is set to end in late June.
The club sees players from Summerland, Osoyoos, Keremeos and Oliver sign up for organized games.
A total of 157 “Spring Tots” — players aged three and four years old — are also expected to play in organized matches all spring long, every Saturday morning.
Despite the encouraging registration numbers, Pinnacles FC is still accepting sign-ups as of April 13.
People interested in registering can do so here.
The club is also looking for coaches to help out during the season, which includes Pinnacles FC district teams competing in age groups that go as high as U18.
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