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Walk past the Vanier soccer fields on a Monday or Wednesday night this summer and you鈥檙e likely to get recruited into the Whitehorse co-ed soccer crowd. Especially if longtime player Rob Bousquet is around.

鈥淚鈥檓 with the Jehova鈥檚 Witnesses of soccer,鈥� he says jokingly. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to recruit you.鈥�

Bousquet has been playing with the group since 2001.

鈥淚t鈥檚 gotten more organized over the years and the turnout has been better,鈥� he says.

Not so much this season, with the number of registered players hovering around the 70 mark.

That means there can be about four teams made for the outdoor season.

The outdoor season officially started last week with drop-in games while registration was still open. Last night the season was supposed to kick off with organized teams, but due to the rain, organizers opted for another night of pick-up soccer.

As players started walking into the soccer fields behind Vanier last night, the rain that had dampened Whitehorse all day lightened up. And those that arrived were prepared for the weather.

One man hung his backpack on the fence and covered it expertly with his rain jacket. Another brought along a king-sized clear plastic garbage bag. A few players talked about their experience in southern Ontario, with its amplifying humidex.

Players started warming up and eventually were divided into teams: white shirts versus rainbow shirts.

The game started and players tested out each other鈥檚 skills.

Everyone鈥檚 reasons for attending are different as well.

For John Kisida, it鈥檚 an informal form of fitness.

鈥淚t鈥檚 good for cardio, which I haven鈥檛 done for a long time,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to do something to actually get yourself back in shape which is not too physical.鈥�

As the ball is kicked back and forth across the pitch, it鈥檚 more about playing than winning. Players get more excited over the three beautiful passes before a goal than the goal itself.

When someone scores, they are rewarded with goalie duty.

Just over halfway through the night Tom East finds himself in net. It鈥檚 his second summer playing.

鈥淚t tends to be a pretty casual and fun inclusive league,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can just play at whatever level you play at and it鈥檚 usually pretty good. People don鈥檛 tend to get too worked up about the score or whatever else. They鈥檙e just out to have a good time.鈥�

He looks out at the field from the net and sees a lot of familiar faces, but also a handful of new ones. By the end of the summer, he says, there鈥檒l be a core group.

With other commitments it鈥檚 hard to show up every week, and that鈥檚 why the teams are bigger, to account for those summer vacations and canoeing trips.

鈥淭hey make the teams big, so you don鈥檛 have to worry about missing a game and letting your team down,鈥� says Bousquet. 鈥淧eople have other things to do during the summer... so the teams are big enough to account for that.鈥�

All playing levels are welcome. Playing with those who know the rules or how to play the game isn鈥檛 a big deal for East.

鈥淚鈥檓 more interested in playing with people that are out here to have a good time,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hether you鈥檙e good or bad at soccer, it鈥檚 your attitude that counts.鈥�

The rain lets up and those brave souls who showed up are even rewarded with a little bit of sunlight.

Some players come in later, warming up on the sidelines before jumping in to play.

The league is non-contact.

鈥淪o you can usually show up for work the next day,鈥� says Bousquet.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to worry about injuries.鈥�

There were a couple close calls last night however, a couple head-down headers and one spectacular hard ball to the face. All parties walked away unscathed.

Those interested in joining the outdoor league can find it on Facebook at the Whitehorse Recreational Co-ed Soccer League.

Last night everyone had a foot on the ball.

鈥淚f your skills aren鈥檛 very good, then the other players adapt to it, 鈥� says Bousquet. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 very welcoming and we鈥檒l recruit you too.鈥�