The College of the Canyons women's and men's soccer programs will be hosting 6 vs. 6 pick-up games for youth players ages 7 to 14, running on Friday evenings from Feb. 3 to June 2 at the COC Soccer Facility.

Pick-up soccer games serve as a great supplement to the more structured club soccer environment. Small sided pickup games allow players to truly develop their love for the game.

COC's Friday night pick-up sessions will provide a place for participants to better explore who they are as a player. In the pick-up game environment players have a greater ability to use their creativity and find success, without the well-intentioned influence of coaches and other adults.

Some of the many player benefits of small-sided pickup games include:

• Increased involvement touching and protecting the ball
• Opportunities to dribble, attack and defend
• More decision-making sequences
• Greater opportunities to score more goals

"It's our goal to provide youth soccer players from across the Santa Clarita Valley with continued opportunities to stay active, improve their skill sets, make new friends and teammates and, most importantly, grow their love of this beautiful game," said COC women's soccer head coach Justin Lundin. "We look forward to seeing you on the pitch!"

Games will be supervised by coaches and players from the COC soccer programs, however, coaching instruction will not be provided, allowing participants to play with complete creative freedom.

Each Friday evening 6 vs. 6 coed pick-up session will include the following time slots:

• 5 to 6 p.m. — Boy and Girls 7 to 9 years  
• 6 to 7 p.m. — Boys and Girls 9 to 11 years
• 7 to 8 p.m. — Boys and Girls 12 to 14 years

Online player registration is now open through the COC Athletic Department's online ticketing system. The registration page can also be accessed by visiting www.COCathletics.com and clicking 'Camps & Clinics'.

Registration fees are $10 per player, per session with proceeds benefiting the COC women's and men's soccer programs.

The COC soccer facility is located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road in Santa Clarita.

For additional information please contact justin.lundin@canyons.edu or visit www.COCathletics.com.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

—Photo by Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information