Pita Pit clinched the title after three wins by penalty kicks in the 11/12 boys soccer finals in the Terrace Youth Soccer Association.
Beat by Uplands Kennels in the second game of the series, the boys fought their way through three extra games to make finals, said coach Andrea Komlos.
Facing Uplands Kennels again in the finals, the clock ran out 1-1 and Pita Pit won by penalty kicks.
“The boys played really hard,” said Komlos.
The Terrace Youth Soccer Association wrapped up a successful season mid-September, with about 70 teams kicking their final game ball at Christy Park.
TYSA Director Blaine Kluss says participation was on par with last year with between 825 and 850 children and youths ages 5 to 18.
Early-season had a few minor glitches, with technical issues delaying registration and uniforms coming in late, but overall the season ran smooth, said Kluss.
“We think we’ve got a backup plan for next year should this ever occur again,” Kluss said of the technical issues.
This year was the first that TYSA had a new jersey system, with players buying a jersey to keep, rather than the team re-collecting them each year.
“Collecting and always having a pile of uniforms missing every year was causing problems,” Kluss said, adding that even with a $20 deposit, 25 percent of jerseys were not being returned.
This new system is more smooth, and Kluss says the association buys jerseys in bulk so they are affordable for families.
The league’s big struggle is finding coaches.
When the season was kicking off, they were still short eight coaches, Kluss said, adding that coaches did step up eventually.
He acknowledges that volunteers are an issue for organizations across the board, but it is unfortunate because coaches wind up being unqualified and get burnt out.
“Lack of coaches is always a major issue, we’ve isolated it as our biggest issue by far,” he said.
Looking ahead to next year, Kluss says they plan a coaching clinic in January or February. They also hope to host a few more home games.
