Participants in the YMCA Bolts All Comers Track Meet at Norwich High School during the 2022 season. Registration for this year's YMCA Bolt's season began on January 2 and is open to track and field enthusiasts from ages five to 18. (Photo from the Norwich Family YMCA Facebook page)

NORWICH — The Norwich Family YMCA is kicking off 2023 with a few sports options for local youth: indoor soccer and the Bolts Track Club.

Area kids and teens aged five to 18 with an interest in track and field can join the YMCA Bolts beginning January, with practices beginning on Sunday, January 15. From there, practice will be held every Sunday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. until March 12.

The club is open to track and field competitors of all skill levels, and offers coaching in conditioning drills, efficient running and speed work, block starts, hurdles, relay exchanges, jumps, and throws. There will also be opportunities to compete both within the Bolts Club, and with other track and field clubs in the area.

Participation is $60 for YMCA members and $100 for non-members, with scholarships available. For more information, contact YMCA Fitness Director Shannon Gawronski at 607-336-9622 ext. 1024, or at sgawronski@norwichymca.org.

Also available this year is indoor soccer once again. A staple of the Norwich Family YMCA, the program is open to youth across four divisions: four and five year olds, first and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade.

YMCA Sports Director Tom Revoir said the YMCA'S indoor soccer program is a great way for kids to stay active, have fun, and learn how to play the game.

"It’s about fun, it’s about learning the game of indoor soccer, and it’s about building the skill levels that you need to play," he said. "We throw the games in there on weekends just to make it more fun for the kids. They can see all their hard work and practice, how it pays off."

Registration for indoor soccer is available now through February 4 at the Norwich Family YMCA front desk, with practices beginning on February 20. For the four and five year old age group, practices will be held on Sundays at 12 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. Revoir said practice dates and times will vary among the other groups, depending on the number of children registered.

Although the program didn't go anywhere during the COVID-19 pandemic, Revoir said they did away with the indoor soccer arena usually brought out for this program. Fortunately, he said the arena will be making its return for this year's round of indoor soccer.

"It’s a good program. We’re bringing the arena back this year. So the soccer arena that we used to set up prior to COVID is coming back" he said. "[During COVID] we didn’t have the arena set up. We played on gym court 2, and we used the black lines as the out of bounds. But now we’ll bring the arena back."

In addition to practices, participating children will also have the chance to play in soccer games on March 4, 11, 18, and 25, as well as April 15, 22, and 29. However, Revoir emphasized that the indoor soccer program is not about competing; it's about having fun.

"It’s for kids of all different skill levels. You do not have to be a superstar in soccer. It is recreation, and everybody needs to remember it’s recreation. It is not competitive soccer," he said.

Participation is $40 for YMCA members and $75 for non-members. For the indoor soccer program, and all other programs offered at the Y, scholarships are available through the Open Doors Scholarship program.

"We have financial assistance for all programs, not just that program," said Revoir. "All you do is you fill out the Open Door Scholarship paperwork and it’s good for membership and programs."

More information on the Open Doors Scholarship program can be found at NorwichYMCA.org and the Norwich Family YMCA Facebook page.

For more information on the YMCA indoor soccer program, contact Revoir at trevoir@norwichymca.org.