The Columbia Rotary Club has announced it will launch its 2021 season of the Columbia Rotary Soccer League next week, with the first eight games scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct. 4, at Columbia Water Park.
Throughout the season, which this year will run from Oct. 4 until Nov. 18, the schedule is designed for the games to be played on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with game times set for 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each game day.
Jordan Whittington, one of several local Rotarians and community volunteers who have generously and selflessly dedicated their time and efforts to the success of the soccer program, said this year's registration is close to, if not the largest season in the program's history.
Whittington said more than 380 youth are registered to participate this year, who have been divided into 33 teams, which are comprised of players across the five established age brackets: 3-4-year-olds, 5-6-year-olds, 7-8-year-olds, 9-10-year-olds and 11-13-year-olds.
"When my wife, Danielle, and I moved back to Columbia, I wanted to find a place to get plugged into and do things to help out the community," Whittington said. "I looked into civic clubs and was invited to join the Columbia Rotary Club. I think it is a perfect fit with me and the soccer program. I have two boys, Harper who is 9, and Finn who is 7, and they both love the soccer program."
Even though it's hosted and facilitated by the Columbia Rotary Club, Whittington pointed out that all player applications are accepted, without any restrictions on where they are from or how far away they live from Columbia. He said, over the years, they've had many players participate from surrounding communities such as Tylertown, Prentiss and Sumrall, most of which don't offer this kind or level of youth soccer program.
Like most groups and organizations last year, the Rotary soccer program did not escape the challenges, struggles and inconveniences brought on by the COVID pandemic. Despite the confusing and ever-changing safety precautions like testing, and the mandatory restrictions like social distancing, the organizers and volunteers still managed to provide area youth with an opportunity to indulge in once of their favorite activities -- playing soccer.
"Even with COVID last year, we still had a season. We probably only had half of the number of kids playing that we do this year, but we made the best of it with the 20 or so teams that were playing," Whittington said. "There were still so many unknowns about COVID last year, I believe people were just hesitant to sign up. I believe people are more comfortable this year with the availability of vaccines and with outdoor activities in general. This year feels like a return to normalcy."
The local Rotary Club as a whole, Whittington explained, invests a lot of time and effort into making this program a success. It requires the entire membership to get involved in some facet of the annual project in order for it to succeed. The money raised through hosting the soccer program is a conduit that funds annual scholarships awarded to four graduating seniors (one from each of the four local high schools).
"Most years, our season runs from October through Thanksgiving, which is by design. We're able to get the flyers and sign-up information out in August, when the schools start back up, and sign-ups are typically in mid-to-late August," Whittington said. "We organize the teams immediately after sign-ups and allow them to practice on their own during the month of September. This time also allows the club time to make the schedules, order the uniforms, and prep the fields."
Historically, the Columbia Rotary Club used to sponsor the Dixie Boys Baseball program, which ended up merging with the Dixie Youth program. That left the local Rotary club looking for something new to support.
Then, in 1978, the Columbia Soccer League came into fruition, led by the first soccer committee chairmen, Fred Coker and Larry Middleton. The first season consisted of only four teams of 11 players, with the youngest age of seven, and Rotary Club members served as the coaches and referees. The program has certainly expanded since that time.
"I always make it a point to tell the parents that this is purely recreational. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely some competitiveness involved, but no one is over the top," Whittington said. "It's run completely with volunteer help from the club and by parent coaches. It is great exercise for the kids and a lot of fun."
The program's registration fee is $50 per child, which covers each player's pair of shorts, pair of socks, and the team jersey. The only remaining expense is for the family to provide the player's shin guards and cleats.
Team sponsorships are $250, which also go to help cover the cost of the uniforms and paying for the referees. However, the overall remaining proceeds raised by the program go to fund the scholarships.
Anyone interested in learning more about registration or sponsorship can check the Facebook group "Columbia Rotary Soccer League," which has an abundance of great information.
