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Fierce, fast, and fun is the best description for the Greater Marco Family YMCA’s new Indoor Soccer League for youth grades K to fifth.

The idea to convert to an indoor league was an offshoot from the Adult Indoor Soccer league that played on Sundays at the YMCA.

It is a growing national trend at YMCAs to convert indoors. Indoor soccer is growing and has taken off more in numbers within the northern states due to cold weather conditions for most of the year. In Florida we have our own unique set of weather conditions. Not only do we suffer through rainy seasons, we have a constant humidity heat factor, which can place our recreational athletes in a hazardous zone — heat exhaustion and heat stroke (heat stroke can be fatal). How do we as sports administrators combat the problem? Convert to the indoors!

Not unique to Marco Island, other small towns and cities are experiencing the problem of the lack of playing facilities. A community that depends on the support of one to two fields, places these facilities at risk in keeping them beautifully maintained for play. These fields are destroyed by the over usage and the lack of time allowed by the facilitator to properly groom the playing areas. Again, how do we as sports administrators combat the problem? Convert to the indoors.

Lastly, being in a southern territory, we live with certain insects known as the pesky mosquito and leg biting red ants. We have witnessed athletes and whole teams in tears from the piercing pain of ant bites and the swarm of mosquitoes after 5 p.m. and especially after heavy rains. Try as we might, no amount of chemical treating or spraying of these areas can control these pests — they come with the outdoors; it’s part of the Florida environment. Solution, convert indoors!

Are you convinced yet that an indoor league has its potential? How about this — the number of players in an indoor soccer is reduced to five players and one goalie per team. What does this mean for the athlete? It will require less time running up and down a sixty yard field and more time handling the ball. More ball handling means a stronger emphasis on the players’ development. Coaches’ player ratio will be lowered allowing more constructive time during practice and a better focus on safety. The indoor soccer does not need a full roster of twelve athletes to complete a team. It takes only six to play; a perfect size squad is seven players to allow for rest.

The YMCA is offering three divisions for the fall; K to first grade, second to third, and fourth to fifth. Each team will have one practice time per week and games on Friday nights (no need to worry about a rigid practice schedule and keeping up with school work). Any overflow will be played on Saturday in the late morning into the afternoon. The games run under one hour and are played in the YMCA gymnasium. The cost is $40 for YMCA members and $55 for others. All participants will be required to attend an assessment clinic.

Our second clinic will be held on Sept. 5. The schedule is as follows; K to first grades from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; second to third grades from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and fourth to fifth from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

In addition, we are running a “Little Kickers” soccer program for ages 3 to 5. The program will begin Sept. 13 through Oct. 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. The cost is $20 for YMCA members and $35 for others.

Program registration will be accepted through Sept. 5 for the youth league. Little Kickers is accepting registration through the start date of the program.

The coaches meeting and skills workshop has been scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first half of the agenda will include rules, team draft, equipment hand-outs, and practice schedules. Coaches will break for lunch provided by the YMCA and enter into a skills workshop. Coaches need to come prepared to play.

We are looking for volunteer coaches for all leagues as well as team sponsors. The cost to sponsor a team is $150. The cost to volunteer is priceless! All coaches will receive training materials as well as assistance from our new soccer supervisor Michael Barretta.

For more information on the league, coaching or a sponsor opportunity contact Gina Sisbarro at 394-3144 ext. 227. See you indoors!