We all remember it. Running around on a seemingly giant grassy field with boys and girls from our kindergarten class. Back then, most of us tiny players didn’t know which direction our team was playing and spent most of the game picking at the weeds.

Today, though the players are older and much more skilled athletes, this idea of friendly competition and fun through the sport of soccer lives on. The phenomenon of joining a Brookside soccer team has taken over Sion in the last few years, with involvement from girls of all grades.

Participating in Brookside soccer, senior Maggie Gorman said, is perfect for those wanting to be involved in a sport that they no longer play competitively.

“I wanted to join a team because I used to play soccer and stopped about a year ago,” Gorman said. “I really wanted to start playing again and this seemed like a good opportunity. Our team is definitely just for fun and everyone just has a good time.”

Founded in 1977, the Brookside Soccer Club has blossomed from its original group of just 25 players to its current 2,000. It is this non-for-profit organization that strives to provide an environment of fairness, safety and fun for Kansas City youth, brooksidesoccer.org states.

According to the organization’s website, the Brookside Soccer Club’s mission is to deliver quality youth soccer programs that build positive character through participation in a fun, family-oriented soccer environment.

But it is the welcoming and fun spirit that a Brookside soccer team provides, sophomore Isabel Grojean said, that encouraged her to join with a group of her Sion classmates and Rockhurst friends.

“It’s just for fun and we don’t care about winning or losing at all,” sophomore Elizabeth Herbert said. “I like playing because it’s something to do during the day and on weekends when there is nothing to do. Plus, I get to be with my friends, and what is better than that?”