Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
One thing has been missing since the Dayton Valley Youth Soccer League opened in 2001.
"This is the first year we're going to have an opening day," said Garner Lieb, fundraising coordinator for the local league. "We're trying to find somebody to sing the national anthem. The parents are really excited about it, looking forward to it. They are up for it."
The ceremonies were originally scheduled for April 10, but moved to April 17 because of the Easter school break. The festivities will start at 8 a.m. at the soccer fields at Mark Twain Park located on Six Mile Canyon Road.
There will be a bounce house for kids and a BBQ lunch served during the day.
The DVYSL is open to children from ages 4 to 12. They are grouped in four different groups by age. In all, the DVYSL has more than 300 participants and 12 teams. There is a fall and spring program. Players come from Sutro Elementary, Dayton Elementary and Dayton Intermediate. Lieb said some players come in from Silver Springs.
"The interest level is more with the younger kids," said Lieb, who coaches two teams. "We try to take as many 12s as possible. If we have a real good 9-year-old and we need players at the next age group we might move him up."