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Recreational Youth Soccer Season Officially Underway
YOUTH SOCCER 1
Under the watchful eye of a coach, the gray-clad Escalon Engineering Department Team and the blue jersey-wearing American Legion Post 263 team play in the co-ed Squirts division, featuring 5- and 6-year-olds, during Opening Day action for the recreational youth soccer program on Saturday, Aug. 12.

TIMES PHOTOS BY MARG JACKSON

Hundreds of area youngsters got their kicks in on Saturday, Aug. 12 as the Escalon Recreation Department officially opened the youth soccer season.

Games were played at the Hogan-Ennis Park complex, with competition throughout the day.

Officials said they had a record number of players sign up for this season; with 827 participants suiting up for a total of 82 teams.

Rec Department staffer Jenny Thompson noted that the games will run each Saturday, with the season continuing through Oct. 7.

The largest division this season, she noted, is the ‘Squirts’ with 177 players.

Divisions for the competition are the co-ed Tiny Tots, 3- and 4-year-olds; co-ed Squirts, 5- and 6-year-olds; with separate Pee Wee Boys and Pee Wee Girls divisions, for ages 7 and 8; Minor Boys and Minor Girls, for 9- and 10-year-olds and the oldest division, Major Boys and Major Girls, for 11- to 13-year-olds.

The fields at Hogan-Ennis Pak were filled with the players wearing their brightly colored uniforms, shin guards and cleats on Saturday, as the season got off to a strong start.

YS 2
The youngest Tiny Tots division players, 3- and 4-year-olds, play on co-ed teams for recreational soccer. The gray team shown here is sponsored by Ratto Bros. Inc. and the light blue team is sponsored by the Escalon Police Department.
YS3
Opening Day action for the Escalon recreational youth soccer program on Saturday, Aug. 12 featured games in many divisions. Here, the orange Escalon Public Works team battles it out with the blue Pizza Plus squad in the Pee Wee Boys, for 7- and 8-year-olds.
YS4
In the Minor Boys division, featuring 9- and 10-year-olds, one game during the recreational soccer league Opening Day on Aug. 12 featured the dark green J&R Trucking LLC team against the squad sponsored by Vander Meulen Farms.