School is starting, and so is the new soccer season for 60 Andover first- through sixth-grade students. Tuesday, September 3, marks the official start, and practices and games will be played at Howard George Field in Blackwater Park through Saturday, October 19.

Heading up the first and second grade co-ed group this year is Michelle Dudek. She will have 20 eager players on the field every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 10 AM. At this level, the focus is on basic ball handling skills, including dribbling and passing. There are sure to be a few scrimmages among all the kids.

At the third and fourth grade level, soccer skills are further refined and basic strategies are introduced to create offensive and defensive plays. This year, the league has tacked on three extra games for this age group, adding to their game time experience. This season will find us with two co-ed teams, created to give all the kids optimal playing time. The teams will be coached by Brian Kellogg and Ty Davis.

When you get to the fifth and sixth grade level, the competition increases even more. Longer kicks, improved control, game strategy, and working as a team make for a faster, more skilled game. Goalkeeping is important, and learning to stay on-side is a challenge.

This season, Claudio Marcus is coaching a co-ed team made up of 12 girls and five boys. Co-ed teams in the Merrimack Valley Soccer League play against other boys teams, so this season should prove to be an exciting one!

Games are played on Tuesday evenings, on a few Fridays, and all day on Saturdays. Check MVSL.org to see the schedules, and come out to cheer on the kids!