Soccer is not usually a summer sport, but members of a 12-and-under team from Andalusia are busy preparing for intense competition at the 21st annual Alabama Sports Festival.

The team is made up of members of the Andalusia United coached by Mark Ingram, Tammy McDuffie and Tom Savage along with players who were added through tryouts.

Ingram said team members have been working hard and are excited about the opportunity to represent Andalusia at the Alabama Sports Festival (ASF) in Huntsville beginning June 26.

Several of the team members are currently attending a soccer camp in Enterprise as well as practicing with the team at least twice a week.

The camp is being held at Enterprise Community College by instructor Kenny White. The camp concludes on Friday with an ceremony and game.

"Eleven of them at attending the camp in Enterprise," Ingram said.

The opportunity to represent their hometown at the state games is the chance of a lifetime. It is also somewhat expensive and the team is asking for donations from civic groups, businesses and private individuals to help fund their trip.

The players are also willing to do their part to raise funds for the trip by holding a car wash at the Texaco Station on U.S. Highway 29 on Saturday, June 14 from 7 a.m. to noon. Players are pre-selling tickets.

The members of the soccer team are Evan Brooks, Stephen Darby, Kaitlin Holley, Marcus Ingram, Blake Jackson, Leslie James, Gillis Jones, Nicholas Lawson, Jay McCord, Tally Morrow, Lee Mills, Zachary Morgan, Jake Richardy, Rhett Riley, John Tillman, Michael Tyler, Jeremy Wiggins, Lee Enzor and Mitchell Clark.

The 2003 ASF XXI State Games will be held June 26-29 in Huntsville. This is Alabama's largest, Olympic-style, multi-sport event for amateur athletes of any age or skill level. The Games begin with Opening Ceremonies and Athlete Leadership Summit. This year's Opening Ceremonies will celebrate the history of Huntsville, themed "Tradition to Technology." The Opening Ceremonies will be held Friday, June 27, at 7 p.m., in the Von Braun Center, and will be televised live statewide.

This year's sports line-up includes: archery/bowhunting, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cycling, disc golf, diving, figure skating, gymnastics, inline hockey, karate, mountain biking, shooting sports, soccer, softball, swimming, taekwondo, track and field, trampoline and tumbling, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling.

Information on each sport and step-by-step directions on the registration process are listed on the web at www.alagames.com. Registration deadlines differ by sport.

For more information, visit the official ASF website at www.alagames.com, or call the ASF at (800) 467-0422.

The ASF, a non-profit organization, was started at the request of the United States Olympic Committee in 1982. The ASF utilizes Olympic-style athletics to instill the importance of academics and good citizenship in the youth of Alabama.

All Alabama residents, college students and military personnel who have lived in the state of Alabama for at least 30 days prior to the day of competition are eligible to compete, if they meet the specific requirements for their sport. Alabama residents attending college or serving in the military in another state are also eligible to compete. Participants in developing individual sports residing on a neighboring state line can compete.