Youth Soccer Clinic to be held in San Bernardino

The Los Angeles Football Club is offering a free soccer clinic to kids ages 7-14 this Saturday in San Bernardino.  The event will take place at Lytle Creek Park from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Tim Kolacz, local soccer enthusiast who has has been involved in youth soccer as a participant, coach and referee for nearly 40 years said these clinics are a great way to develop home-grown players.  “These clubs operate minor leagues that are interested in developing players that could eventually move up to the main team.  This is a way of identifying promising players and recruiting them.”

In recent years the youth soccer picture has evolved into a somewhat elitist sport because most of the teams that compete at the highest levels are private-club teams that cost a great deal of money to participate in and this is pricing out many young players who may be very talented.

“This is not unique to soccer,” said Kolacz.  “Little league baseball and hockey have similarly grown into travel team private sports and can cost tens of thousands of dollars per year to participate in all with the hopes that the kids will get scholarships to elite schools or have a professional sports career, which is highly unlikely.  The pressure put on by many of the parents on the kids involved and the coaches can be crushing and I have seen this firsthand.”

Los Angeles Football Club, also known as Los Angeles FC and commonly referred to as LAFC, is an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles. The club competes in Major League Soccer as a member club of the league’s Western Conference.

Pre-registration is required to participate in the clinic. Refreshments will be provided. Lytle Creek Park is located at 380 S. K Street in San Bernardino.