KSSC soccer season begins in mid-May

Anyone who calls soccer The Beautiful Game clearly never saw me play it. I played youth recreational soccer for a good 10 years. It took me seven years to score my first goal, and I was a forward. After that, of course, the taps were open, and I scored several more. My career peaked when I made it onto the midget team at LCVI in 1993. Though to be fair, attendance at the tryouts was low, and everybody made the team.

But, I had fun playing soccer. I loved it. I had a great team (Strathcona Park!) full of my friends who were (mostly) all better at soccer than I was. After a game or practice, we’d hop on our bikes and go to the park, or ride around for no reason, or just go play a different sport for a while. Ah, youth.

Now, in my 40s, I’ve been thinking about seeing if age and wisdom will make me a better soccer player. There are a handful of adult leagues in Kingston that vary in their levels of competitiveness. But, if you’re like me and maybe feel a bit intimidated by the idea of playing 11-per-side soccer on a full-sized pitch, take a look at what the Kingston Sport and Social Club (KSSC) has to offer.

Since 2005, KSSC has been running a 7-on-7 soccer league. Several years ago, the league started playing outdoor soccer entirely on turf fields, which some people feel is better to play on for its evenness and reliability.

Outdoor turf soccer is one of KSSC’s most popular offerings and is available at three skill levels on three different weeknights: recreational and intermediate is played on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as well as a split recreational/intermediate (for the indecisive or uncertain footballer) on Thursdays. In KSSC, you can register a full team, a group of friends or as an individual. I joined KSSC dodgeball as an individual in 2005, and the team I still play on now grew directly out of that first season.

KSSC soccer has improved over the years as the league now plays on strictly the best quality turf fields in Kingston; Queen’s University Nixon Field, Queen’s University Richardson Stadium, and Caraco Field at the Invista Centre. The 7-on-7 league plays on modified field size (three games are played at the same time on a whole pitch, going width-wise across the field) using portable 6×12-foot goals. With the move to turf, and proper soccer nets, it makes for an incredibly fun, safe and rewarding sporting experience.

Registration for the 2019 Sprummer KSSC season ends Thursday, Apr. 25 at midnight. The soccer season begins in mid-May. Registration is open at www.KSSC.ca.

This article is paid for by Kingston Sport and Social Club as promotional content.