A 12-year-old soccer player says the Eastman Soccer Team has been practicing twice a week in preparation for the Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games in Steinbach.

Kian Minnaar says he has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember and was very excited to be named to the Eastman team in June. He notes the team has been training all summer.

"Sometimes we do shooting drills where the coach will throw the ball over our shoulder and we have to kick it before it hits the ground. We do scrimmages with added rules like it can't stay on one side for more than 10 seconds so he is trying to get us used to switching the field."

Minnaar says he knew five of the other players when he training started but the team has become close as they work together.

"I think I am just excited to be a part of soccer and I think it is a great opportunity for me, also I am kind of looking forward to watching the other teams play and just spending time with my friends and being together with them for a while."

Minnaar says he is hopeful that the Eastman team can get a gold medal, but he would be excited if they got any medal.