It seems the late start to the school year is effecting more than mountain bike racing - numbers for this afternoon's Yukon Junior High School Soccer Championships are down as well.

Organizer Dave Stockdale says the late start to the year and other commitments has left the Grade 8 and 9 co-ed Junior field with only three teams to battle it out for the 2009 Championships. Four senior co-ed teams from Grades 10 to 12 will participate.

"Unfortunately no teams from out of town are coming,” said Stockdale.

In addition to only local teams, one of the schools that usually participates has Friday off.

Many of the students from that school chose other commitments like work instead of the tournament, Stockdale said.

"It's been sort of tricky pulling them together,” he said. The deadline for students to sign up was September 4, and Stockdale was making up the schedule as late as yesterday.

The first junior division game starts at 3 p.m. at F.H. Collins School field between Academie Parhelie and Porter Creek Secondary School. At 6 p.m. tonight P.C.S.S. will take on F.H. Collins at Jack Hulland Field.

Friday the Academie Parhelie will play F.H. Collins at 10:30 a.m.

Playoffs begin later in the evening with the second and third team at 1:30 p.m. and the winner of that game will move on to play the first place team at 4:30 p.m. Both games will be played at F.H. Collins.

An awards banquet will be held at F.H. Collins following the final game at 6 p.m. Friday.

"When you've got three teams, some teams have to sit out for half a day,” said Stockdale. "If you lose one team out of four it makes it a little awkward.”

The senior division starts today between the F.H.C. Warriors, P.C.S.S. A team, PCSS B team and the Vanier Crusaders. Games start at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The round robin tournament will continue Friday starting at 9 a.m. at F.H.C. field, Jack Hulland field and Vanier. The final qualifying game will start at 12 p.m.

The two winners and two losers from the final round robin will move onto the finals at 3 p.m. at F.H.C and Vanier fields.

An awards ceremony will follow the final games at 4:30 p.m.

The low numbers are a slight disappointment for Stockdale, but he says the day is for those who show up.

"It's a little disappointing but I am encouraged that Ecole Emilie Tremblay is putting a junior team in this year,” he said. "But I'm sure it'll be fine, you don't preach to the ones who are not there.”

The quick turnaround from the first day of the year to the tournament is always a challenge, but Stockdale says students tend to regularly practice on their own throughout the summer.

"It's always a bit of a rush,” he said.

Also contributing to the slowdown of players is a crop of new teachers. Many teachers who used to volunteer have left the school system, and new teachers getting the feel of things haven't stepped up to the plate just yet, Stockdale said.

The dark clouds covering Whitehorse today may look like they could put a damper on the soccer action but Stockdale says it will make for a good game.

"Kids like to play in the rain,” he said. "They get to slide in the grass and they get muddy and dirty.”

While the rain isn't a problem for the junior and senior divisions, next week's elementary tournament has been cancelled in the past due to adverse weather.

"We've had to cancel some of the elementary events because it snowed one year,” said Stockdale.

The annual fall tournament is put on by local athletes from the Yukon Soccer Championships.