Players gather for some instruction during a Soccer For All event last year in Eagle Point.

With some facing financial barriers to play sports, the Rogue United FC has been hard at work to create more accessibility and opportunities for the youth of the Rogue Valley to play soccer.

Starting at 10 a.m. Sunday, the soccer club will be hosting Soccer For All, a free event to create an innovative and competitive atmosphere for development at the Outback Fields in Eagle Point.

“All sports are heavily driven by financial commitments and we do understand that almost nothing is free,” said Rogue United FC founder Carlos Fernandes. “So every time we have an opportunity to bring the community together, especially those that are not able to pay some of the fees imposed by the clubs, so we take Soccer for All as a win-win.”

Boys and girls of ages 6-12 with any level of experience will be welcome to play in the single-day tournament of two pools and play a round robin of two 12-minute halves per game. Winning teams will go into a playoff round before playing in the finals.

The nonprofit organization aims to support as many kids to play soccer and be involved in the community since Fernandes founded it in 2020.

Fernandes designed the tournament to have all teams play at least three games, with the plan to play at a local pitch and not require any overnight travel.

“It’s about providing competition at a young age,” said Fernandes. “The 12-minute halves make it very dynamic and give kids a chance to play and watch their friends in the same place.”

“We’re just extremely passionate about this really fun environment,” he added. “We’re very thankful to be able to do this for the community.”

Currently, Soccer For All has 150 players who have already signed up for Sunday and, last year, as many as 200 registered on some dates.

For the spring season, Sunday will be the only time the event will be held. However, Fernandes has plans to hold more events in the future.

Rogue United FC is paying for the field fees and others have volunteered to referee and coach games, but donations are accepted that will go into programs to provide scholarships and help the community.

For more information, visit the Rogue United FC website at rogueunitedfc.com