The Whitehorse Minor Soccer Association marked the winding down of the first half of its indoor season by holding the Toonie Tournament on Friday and Saturday at both the Canada Games Centre and Yukon College.

The tournament is open to three age divisions and its purpose is not only to break up the season, but also to offer kids the opportunity to take part in a competition where the emphasis is on participating and having fun rather than winning.

'This tournament always creates excitement and that is what it is meant to do,' said Hanne Hoefs, the administrator and tournament organizer for Whitehorse Minor Soccer. 'The kids are excited about it, knowing they get a ribbon, some get a medal and some might win prizes.'

This tournament has been taking place since 2001 and has a player entry fee of $2. All players on teams in the U-11, U-9 and U-7 divisions are allowed to take part in the Toonie Tournament. Nearly 30 teams participated this year, which is up from the total in 2006.

The Toonie Tournament began on Friday with round robin play, which carried over to Saturday. Each team was guaranteed at least three games and the top four teams in each division qualified for the semi-finals.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the three best teams in each division, while all of the other players who took part were given a participation ribbon.

Tickets for a draw prize were also given out to people who made a non-perishable food item donation for the Salvation Army. Prizes included gift certificates from Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire as well as grab bags filled with an assortment of items donated by Intersport.

Cathy Borsa's son participated in this year's Toonie Tournament. His team, in the U-11 division, finished with a record of 1-1-1, which wasn't quite good enough to qualify them for the playoffs, but Borsa said they still had a good time.

'They love playing the game and the tournament adds a little bit of excitement,' she said. 'It is very popular, soccer, indoor and outdoor in the Yukon.'

Although they didn't qualify, she was impressed with the way her son and his team played.

'They won their last game, so that was a nice note to end on,' Borsa said. 'At this age you can really see how they work together and it is girls and boys (who play together). They all do their part; they know their positions, so it is all a team effort.'

Borsa said it is nice to have these tournaments for the kids.

'Being in a tournament there is a little bit more pressure, you have to learn about winning and losing,' she said. 'My son's team had won most of the games (in the indoor league) and then they had to really fight in this tournament, so I think it is good learning to win or lose in a tournament and just do your best.'

Geoff Woodhouse is the President of Whitehorse Minor Soccer. He said there are more than a few benefits for kids who take part in the Toonie Tournament.

'I think it introduces a lot of kids to competitive play without putting an awful lot of stress on them and the primary purpose is fun and participation, but there is a medal involved and there is a little bit more competition involved as well,' Woodhouse said. 'So I think they learn to deal with competition and a sense of sportsmanship, which is important for them. It teaches them that if you work hard you can get a medal and you have to deal with not getting a medal as well.'

He was pleased with the way the tournament went this year.

'I am delighted with both the participation and the way the tournament played out. It went very well,' he said. 'It has just grown every year and there is also a food drive component, which introduces a sense of community involvement as well.'

From the officials, to the coaches, right up to the sponsors, Woodhouse said running this type of tournament is really a community event.

'The number of people involved in making soccer a success in the community is just huge and we could not do it without them,' he said. 'There is some really great community participation in this, which makes it more successful and more enjoyable for everybody.'