SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – On Saturday morning, Sept. 13, the Springfield Elks Lodge 1560 held its annual Youth Soccer Shoot, at the Springfield Parks and Recreation Fields at Riverside Park. Twenty boys and girls from the local area participated in the competition. The first place winners advanced to the State Elks Association contest in Saint Albans, Vt., on Sunday, Oct. 5.
The competition was directed by Soccer Shoot Chair and Lodge Trustee Victor Baskevich. Eleven Elks members, Springfield Parks and Recreation directors Matt McCarthy, Adam Middleton, and Scott Lampron, along with four high school volunteers Sophia Lihatsh, Quinn Jasinski, Miles Murchie, and Camden Desjardins, dedicated their time to make this event a success.
The divisions, winners, and their scores are as follows.
Girls U8 (ages 7 and under): first place, Anaiya Rigney, 20; second place, Harper Gauthier, 19; third place, Kendall Wordwell, 15. Girls U10 (ages 8 and 9): first place, Alison King, 21. Girls U12 (ages 10 and 11): first place, Quinn Carafiello, 23; second place, Elynor Boissonnault, 15.
Boys U8 (ages 7 and under): first place, Brody Aiken, 23; second place, Andrew Boissonnault, 13. Boys U10 (ages 8 and 9): first place, Beckham Rounds, 28; Boys U12 (ages 10 and 11): first place, George Whalen, 35; second place, Declan Rounds, 33; third place, Xander Aiken, 28. Boys U14 (ages 12 and 13): first place, Porter Whalen, 31.
The Elks Soccer Shoot program includes two contests that evaluate skills at different levels based on age. The Five Goal Contest consists of a series of five goals, decreasing in size from 48 inches to 17 inches. This contest is for U8 age groups. Boys and girls compete separately, and contestants kick from 15 feet away from the face of the goal.
The Grid Goal Contest uses a full-size goal divided into sections, where points are scored based on the section into which the ball is kicked. This contest is for U10, U12, and U14. Boys and girls compete separately.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants for making it a fantastic event for the lodge and surrounding communities. Best of luck to the winners as they head to the state-level competition in Saint Albans. For more information about the Elks and their programs, please visit www.elks.org.