Colton Youth Soccer Kicks Off Season

The fields of Colton Middle School on Laurel Street were full of soccer players as athletes, coaches and parents came out on Saturday, Aug. 24, to kick off the Colton Youth Soccer organization (CYS) 2013 Opening Ceremonies. Families and teams peppered the field decked in their team colors and displaying team signs. The ceremony began Saturday with the National Anthem, performed by community member Justin Cabrera. League President Jimmy Ramirez introduced community dignitaries and, following the Star Spangled Banner, Mayor Sarah Zamora addressed the crowd. “We pray that you have a blessed season,” she said. Ramirez then introduced each of the league’s over 55 teams in 11 divisions and they walked the field waving to their audience. Ramirez, who has served on the league’s Board of Directors for over 25 years and has served as the league’s president in the past, said this season was about having fun. “What we [the board and the coaches] are looking to do is give the kids a good time and a positive experience. We want to make this a safe place for them to come and have fun.” With some of the lowest league fees in the area—this year the league charged $55 a player, said Ramirez—the league is reaching out to a wide range of soccer players in the area to provide them with entertaining recreation, he shared. Additionally, Ramirez said, members of the league also perform field cleanups regularly throughout the season, as a thank-you to the Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) for lending them the field to play and practice on. Tents run by each team peppered the field as they raised money to help pay for individual sponsorships, tournament fees, team T-shirts and pizza parties, said Ramirez. At one of the booths attempting to win a new pet goldfish were siblings Mia and Yulior Zamora, who, for the first time this year, are participating in the CYS. The reasons Ramirez stated for the league’s reaching out to the community’s youth were exactly why their parents, Yulior and Naty Zamora, signed their children up to play, said Yulior Sr. “They look like they’re having so much fun,” said Yulior. “We wanted them to have exercise opportunities, and show them a way to keep them busy.” “Our focus has always been about the kids and we are all working toward making this fun for them,” said Ramirez. “We want to get as many kids to come out and play as there are those who want to play,” he said. A league calendar can be found on the league’s website, www.coltonyouthsoccer.com.