POPLAR RIDGE - Spring means soccer in Southern Cayuga. And lots of it.

That will keep the Southern Cayuga Soccer Club busy.

“We usually have around 200 kids,” said the organization's registrar and treasurer, Terri Denman. “We get kids from (5 years old) right on up to the time they are 18. That is a pretty good turnout.”

These numbers have allowed the league to gradually evolve into a year-round organization with leagues in the fall and winter as well.

Often baseball and softball are the predominant summer and spring sports, but Denman said the soccer league is scheduled to avoid conflicts with these other sports and it allows kids the opportunity to try something a little different.

“We start with the youngest kids we can,” Denman said. “At this young age kids can try something different and try to play a lot of different sports and see what they like and what they want to do. And a lot of the kids we get starting at five do enjoy it and stick with it.”

This is something Denman knows firsthand, as all three of her sons grew up playing in the league.

“My oldest son played for three years,” Denman said. “My middle son played more recreationally and my youngest went on to play JV and varsity and plans to go on to play in college in the fall. So we were pretty involved when they were all growing up and we had a lot of fun.”

From the very beginning with the youngest players, the goal of the league is to learn and have fun and the participants are able to do so by just playing soccer.

“At that age it isn't always easy to keep their attention,” Denman said. “So the important thing is to let them get out there and kick the ball around and get a feel for the game and see if they like it. The big thing is that we just try to let them get out there and have fun, that is really what we are all about and what we try to focus on with the kids. It is all about having fun with the game.”

Games are mainly in-house for younger players, with games against teams from the surrounding area like Union Springs and Groton for the older players.

“The games are a lot of fun,” Denman said. “So we try to get teams from around us to come in and play. The kids get to go and play and they really enjoy it and seem to get something out of having the chance to really play in real games.”

As the kids get older there is a greater focus on developing their skills without losing sight of the enjoyment of the game.

“As they get older the skill level goes up,” Denman said. “We get a lot of kids that go on to play for school and everything, so we try to keep them active and learning more about the game. But still the focus is really on having fun. We don't really put too much emphasis on the competitive side of the game; the focus is really on having fun.”

For three years Southern Cayuga Soccer has been expanding its reaches to include a travel league for kids 16 to 18.

Teams get the chance to travel around the Southern Cayuga area as well as into Syracuse to play other travel-level teams.

“That has been going really well for us,” Denman said. “The kids really seem to have taken to it. It is a little competitive at that level and it gives them a chance to increase their skill level and become better players by playing different teams. We do a lot of car pooling and we get a lot of support from the coaches and parents so that we can get to the games and everything and it has been going really well.”

From coaches to organizing the league, everything is done on a volunteer basis.

“We get a lot of support,” Denman said. “We get a lot of parents who help out with getting things together and coaching. We try to get as many people involved as we can. We get a lot of parents that want to help out as coaches. The main thing is that they can make it fun for the kids and keep them interested and make sure everyone is involved.”

There has also been a lot of support coming from former players.

“We get the kids that started playing here and are playing in school now,” Denman said. “They come back and help us out in the summer. It is really nice to see them coaching and working with the kids.”

From 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday April 28, the Southern Cayuga High School cafeteria will host a registration drive for players and coaches alike. Denman encourages anyone interested to stop by.

“We get a lot of kids that are just here for the summer,” Denman said. “We get a lot of kids that are home schooled. It gives them a chance to play a sport and get to know other kids and to get to know a sport. We are always looking for coaches to help us make this as good for the kids as possible.”