There are no evaluations or regional play for Cochrane Minor Soccer this summer.

Instead, it's strictly about hitting the pitch to play recreational games and have a bit of summer fun.

Working within health regulations, Minor Soccer has been thinking outside the box, and by doing so have attracted more players than they originally anticipated.

Rhonda Carr, tiered league play coordinator, says as of Sunday they had 134 registered to play, and there's room to accommodate more in each age group so far.

"We've got a lot of new families that we haven't seen before. One of the reason is people don't have another sport to do. They've always wanted to do soccer but didn't have time, and now they do. It's so encouraging to see so many new faces."

Sort of like house league play, it's something the association has never been able to offer before.

"A lot of people have always wanted a program like this," says Carr, "and we just never had the numbers to carry both a competitive program and house league. By taking away the ability to be in the league, we've been able to explore what this looks like."

They've also added a brand new mixed age group division that will make it easier for some families to participate. She says the response has been positive.

"We think it will catch on, and be quite popular once people hear about it. You won't have to choose between your kids or your sports. You can be there with all of them."

Because there are no league fees and such, minor soccer has been able to keep the cost down.

"If you're away camping for a few weeks, you're not going to feel like you aren't getting value for your money. The pricing turned out to be really low, which was nice. Even with the extra coaches, we have to have due to social distancing, it all worked out."

There is room in each division for a few players, and late registration is being accepted.

If you're coming from another sport, there is a two-week waiting period mandated by the province.

If you're coming from a camp, there is no waiting period.

For further details on these rules and to register your children, go here.