CHESAPEAKE — Eastern Lawrence Youth Soccer league has once again been identified as a Soccer Across America program and was selected as a recipient of the 2009 US Youth Soccer grant in the amount of $3,200. This is the second year that ELYSA has been a recipient of this grant.

This grant is given each year to a select few soccer programs across the United States who are choosing to try to instill a good sense of sportsmanship and fun while teaching the sport of soccer.

The grant is given by US Youth Soccer with support from Adidas, the official equipment supplier to US Youth Soccer.

“We will be able to purchase Adidas equipment such as soccer balls, training bibs, and jerseys to supply our league,” Juli Stephens, secretary of ELYSA, said.

More than $2 million in funding has been provided to Soccer Across America programs in the 12 years of the grant’s existence.

ELYSA is in its fourth year. Their fields are located at the Lawrence County Airport in Chesapeake. The league has grown every year and this past year had 220 children playing soccer with them.

The league is for both boys and girls in the Fairland, Chesapeake, and Symmes Valley school districts. Youth between the ages of 3-11 as of August 1, 2009 are eligible to play.

Registration for fall soccer will be Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to noon at Chesapeake Elementary cafeteria and Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at Fairland West.

“With the sport of soccer growing so quickly across the United States, we hope to give children in our area an opportunity to learn this fun sport,” Stephens said. “We try to charge only what we need to cover our costs, so this year we are only charging $35 per child and $25 for each sibling. This is for eight weeks of games in the fall.”

For more information about ELYSA or registering your child, please call Stephens at 740-867-6649 or Melissa McCloud at 740-867-3580.