OSKALOOSA — Although it was about 30 degrees outside, spring was in the air at Penn Central Mall Saturday as local kids signed up for spring sports.

The Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation held its second-annual Youth Activities Day Saturday to coincide with Mahaska County Little League and Soccer Club sign-up day.

MCRF Executive Director Sherri Vavra was pleased with the turnout for the event.

“It’s really good so far,” Vavra said Saturday morning. “We expect it to be busy.”

Besides Little League and soccer club, there were eight other organizations with booths in the mall’s center court.

“The goal of the day is to provide information about organizations that kids wouldn’t get otherwise,” said Desiree Rouse of MCRF.

There are some new organizations in attendance that weren’t there in 2009, Rouse said. Those organizations include New Hope, a skateboard committee and disc golf, she said.

To help spread the word about spring sports, Vavra said recruiting cards were handed out to children to give to their friends. If a card was returned, the child was enrolled for a prize drawing. Vavra said the goal is to reach underprivileged children and give them a chance to participate in sports.

The Little League booths were busy Saturday morning. Little League Board secretary Kathy Butler said that about 200 kids signed up last week and about another 200 signed up this past weekend.

“It’s pretty consistent,” she said of enrollment.

There are 52 league teams in Mahaska County than encompass Oskaloosa, Pella, Eddyville, Leighton, Bussey, New Sharon and Fremont.

Little League is open to children ages 5 to 16 for girls and 5 to 12 for boys. The boys can continue on to Babe Ruth league, Butler said. The season runs from April through June and then tournament time.

This year, Oskaloosa will host the boys majors and minors state baseball tournament from July 23-30, Mahaska County Little League President Chris Fynaardt said. He believes this will be the first time Oskaloosa hosts a boys state baseball tournament.

The Mahaska County Soccer Club also had a busy morning.

“We’ve been steady and really busy at the beginning,” soccer club President Chris Cook said. “We’re doing good — about the same as last fall.”

The soccer club has two seasons per year, Cook added.

Cook said there are about 370 players in about 40 teams and soccer is open to children ages 4 to 14.

“We’ve been steadily growing,” he said.

There’s soccer played seven days a week for eight weeks. The spring season begins March 22 and ends at the end of May.

While people were signing up for sports, Stephen Brayton and Katie Hargrove of Brayton’s Black Belt Academy gave a taekwondo demonstration just before noon. Brayton and Hargrove gave a demonstration of self-defense moves, some weapons use and Hargrove broke a board during the demonstration.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com