By Effie Dawson

January 30th, 2008

Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The little Salvation Army on Hilltop Lane in Annapolis is a couple miles from City Dock by car, and much farther from downtown in terms of organized nightlife. But in the chill of winter, it is a nightly beacon for young soccer players. On weeknights until 10 and weekends until nearly midnight, players stream past the collection trailer of household goods, past the day care center’s fenced-in playground, to compete in the Annapolis Soccer Club winter futsal league.

Some are excellent public or private high school players, looking for a place to get some touches on the ball with their friends in the offseason. Some are recreational players, preferring a scoreboard that stops keeping track once a team gets ahead by five goals. Some live nearby, particularly in the growing Annapolis Hispanic community, and just show up looking for a team that needs an extra player for the evening.

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