Harmon Field Recreation has been awarded a Kirby Harmon Field Youth Activities Fund grant from the Polk County Community Foundation to hold the Seventh Annual Kirby Cup Soccer Camp. Registration forms will be available the week of April 25 and passed out at Polk County Rec games on Saturday, April 30.

This free soccer camp is designed for boys and girls in grades 3 through 8 (ages 8 – 13). The camp will be held Tuesday, June 21 – Saturday, June 25. Training sessions will be held Tuesday through Friday mornings from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. with a round robin tourney followed by a culminating picnic on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. All training and the picnic will be held at Harmon Field.

The players will be divided into four teams, each representing a different country. Each day, players will develop their skills, play a scrimmage and then watch an international match and briefly discuss the history of the country. The picnic will have foods from each country as well. This year, Serbia returns as defending champion and invitations have been sent out to other countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Enrollment is free thanks to the Kirby Fund.

The Saturday tournament has been recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as an official Olympic Day event. Olympic Day, held annually in late June, is celebrated by thousands of people in more than 160 countries. Commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games, Olympic Day is not only a celebration, but an international effort to promote fitness and well-being in addition to Olympic ideals of fair play, perseverance, respect and sportsmanship.