ORANGE : Soccer Club Marks Silver Anniversary

As leaders of the Orange Junior Soccer Club tell it, their group introduced the now-popular sport to Orange County youth. This year, the club celebrates its 25th anniversary of letting kids get their kicks on the soccer field--and keeping them off the streets.

“Luckily and thankfully, we’ve had a good success in keeping them out of trouble,” Roger McLanahan, the club’s fund-raising director said.

To mark the club’s quarter-century contribution to local youth, the City Council proclaimed this week as Youth Soccer Week just in time for the group’s annual fund-raiser today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the former site of McPherson Junior High.

Club members pay $45 each season to play, but McLanahan said the actual cost for each child hovers around $100. The group depends on its annual fund-raiser to cover the difference and to provide scholarships for players who can’t afford the fees.

The nonprofit, volunteer organization was formed in 1961 as the Orange County Youth Soccer Assn. with 75 players. In the late 1970s, membership grew to more than 3,200 players and the club split into four independent soccer associations in neighboring cities. Today, the Orange club’s 100 teams field about 1,300 players ages 5 to 18.