The smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of children laughing filled the air on Saturday, Oct. 8 as the Elks Lodge of Wareham and New Bedford held its annual Soccer Shoot.

The Elks Soccer Shoot is held across the country at different Elk lodges. Children under the age of 14 competed in age-appropriate events to show off their soccer skills and try for the chance to move up to district, regional and national competitions. 

Children ages seven and under competed in the “Five Goal Contest,” where they kicked three balls into a series of five goals, each decreasing in size from 48 inches to 17 inches.

Jocelyn Sherman, 4, and her sisters Charlotte, 6, and Madison, 3, each gave the “Five Goal Contest” a try. This is their second year competing in the Elks Soccer Shoot, said their mother, Nicole Sherman.

Kids over the age of seven took on the “Grid Goal Contest,” where a full-size goal was sectioned off so points could be scored when the ball is kicked into certain sections.

Zachary Fogeie, 6, said that his favorite part about soccer is “playing with the big kids.” Fogeie got a chance to try his hand at the “big kid” event of the day and kick the ball into the grid goal.

According to Jim Callan, the Committee Chair for the Soccer Shoot, each child walks away with a free t-shirt and has a chance to win a trophy. 

Freshman students from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy volunteered to help retrieve soccer balls and guide children through the competition. 

“It’s great to see the way these little kids' faces light up,” said Callan. “This is all volunteer — it’s just another give-back to the community.”