Kids get their kicks

With the first snow of winter having fallen on all the outdoor playing fields, one might think that soccer has gone into hibernation for the winter. However, that is not the case for many of Utah's dedicated soccer enthusiasts.

One only has to look to the Utah Indoor Soccer facility located in Woods Cross to find that soccer is alive and well during the bitter cold months when Old Man Winter takes up residence along the Wasatch Front.

Instead of playing the new Xbox 360 for hours on end this winter, young and adult soccer players in Salt Lake and Davis counties now have a healthier alternative in the indoor leagues and clinics offered at the facility.

One clinic in particular is run by former Viewmont High School soccer players who now spend their time teaching soccer fundamentals to local youths.

"Kids these days play a lot of video games, and we want to get them out to play soccer instead," said Nate Kennaley, one of three former Viking players who run the clinic. "We teach young soccer players the rules of the game, how to play the game and how to play on a team."

Loren Brobeck has been involved in soccer for over 18 years and manages the Utah Indoor Soccer facility. She has an enthusiastic passion for the game and loves to teach young people the sport.

"Soccer is what I do. I have the time to run this program, and I love to see the youth come out and enjoy themselves and learn during the winter months," said Brobeck. "I'll do a free clinic for anyone who wants to do one. We try to teach the kids sportsmanship and teamwork. That way they can learn how to accomplish goals as a team rather than on their own."

Bryce Tueller, another former Viking player and instructor at the facility, feels that early exposure to the game of soccer can play a vital role in shaping a youth.

"It's awesome that these kids get exposed to soccer at such an early age. This is something that I never had when I was young, so it's great that these kids have this opportunity to attend a clinic and learn teamwork skills at such a young age," said Tueller, "You can tell which kids have been exposed to teamwork at a young age, because they seem to have a much more mature attitude

about the game and seem to work much better with other players than those who have not been previously exposed to a team environment."

Early exposure to teamwork is something that Brobeck believes today's youth need.