STUTTGART, Germany -- Three-year-old soccer players are usually more interested in picking flowers and waving to parents than watching the ball.
But given time and some coaching, those children will learn to play as a team and have some fun in the process " which is what the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Child, Youth, and School Services Youth Sports soccer program is all about.
“It is recreational and developmental. Anybody can play,” said Juan Rivera, head commissioner for YS soccer in USAG Stuttgart and long-time soccer coach.
This spring, more than 800 children ages 3-15 are playing soccer, a season record, following the sport’s highest fall enrollment to date of 888 children.
“Stuttgart soccer is the single largest event or club in all of Europe [for military communities],” Rivera said.
In order to make a program of this size possible, a multitude of volunteers are needed.
Currently more than 100 volunteers serve as coaches and assistant coaches, according to Caitlin Smith, CYS Services sports director. “We rely very heavily on our volunteers. They’re priceless,” she said.
However, there are never enough volunteers.
“Our program is always seeking out volunteers for coaching and officiating,” said Smith.
The CYS Services soccer program includes leagues for all ages: Smart Start for 3-year-olds, Tiny Tots for ages 4-5, Peewees for ages 6-7, Minors for ages 8-9, Bantams for ages 10-12 and Juniors for ages 13-15.
It is an ideal place for children new to the Stuttgart community to make friends, Smith said.
“They build a lot of friendships during the season … which I think is really important over here [in Europe],” she said.
Parent Claire Schoonover recalled the impact the soccer program had on her three sons when they first moved to USAG Stuttgart from Florida in 2004.
“They came here hungry, looking for somewhere they could continue playing [soccer],” she said. “Youth Sports provided something right away for them to do and got them back into the sport they love.”
The soccer program is also perfect for newbies, added parent and coach John Forsyth, who started enrolling his two sons in Stuttgart’s youth sports program in 1999.
At the start of each season, Rivera and coaches ensure every team has an equal number of competitive and novice players so that every team has a chance to win.
“It provides equal opportunity for all skills levels,” Forsyth said. “It was the CYS Services soccer league that gave my eldest son the opportunity to play a sport that he had never played but wanted to try.
“My son grew from being a fumbling novice to a kid with real skill and confidence who loved, and still loves, the game of soccer.”
Teams practice twice a week and play games every Saturday. Games are ongoing and run from 8 a.m. to noon for Bantams and below, and from 1-5:30 p.m. for Juniors.
At the end of each season, Bantams and Juniors compete in a final tournament.
However, the main purpose of the league isn’t to win tournaments, but for children to enjoy themselves and learn valuable skills, such as teamwork.
“I want them to develop a love of the game,” Rivera said. “They show up as individuals, but at the end, they perform as a team.”
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