By MATT PATNEAUDE

North Seattle is home to one of the largest non-profit adult soccer leagues in the country. The Greater Seattle Soccer League, whose office is located in the Greenwood area, provides an opportunity for everyone from inexperienced beginners to seasoned professional players.

The GSSL was incorporated in the 1960s, but has actually existed since the early 1900s. Some of the earliest games were played on fields near Green Lake. Currently, over 11,000 players make up the league's 162 teams. The league operates year-round, with fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons.

Anita Parker, who has been the GSSL president for the past 10 years, says the league encourages competitive recreational soccer. "Our goal is to promote quality soccer and have fun. It's not just win, win, win," says Parker. Parker adds that soccer is tremendous exercise. "It is one day a week to run and have fun with teammates," she says.

The league's teams are broken into divisions by age and ability. The divisions include open age, over 30, over 40, over 50, and co-rec. Each age division is then broken into sub-divisions based on a team's ability. If a team performs well in one division, they will move into a more challenging division the next season. Conversely, a team that struggles at one level can move to a less competitive division.

Getting in on the action is easy. Interested players can either call or e-mail the league to add their name to the player pool. Players can be picked up by existing teams during the season or Parker will form new teams from the player pool between seasons.

If a group wants to put together their own team, they can also join the league that way. In fact, many ethnic groups have formed teams to represent their home countries. These teams include those of Japanese, Greek, Bosnian, Kosovar, Mexican, Iranian, British, and Irish descent.

Professional soccer players have been known to play in the GSSL to stay in shape during the off-season or when their professional careers have ended. On the other end of the spectrum, players who have little or no experience can also join the league. Parker says that soccer is a game that anybody can play. "We don't exclude anyone," she says.

A lack of adequate soccer fields in the city is the biggest problem the GSSL faces. The league struggles to find enough available places for games to take place. Seattle based teams are often forced to travel to fields far outside the city for games. Currently, the only facilities in North Seattle that are used by the league are Lower Woodland near Green Lake and Magnuson Park near Sandpoint.

However, help may be on the way. If things go according to plan, two fields being constructed in Meadowbrook at Nathan Hale High School and the former Jane Addams School should be available for use by this fall. These fields will be made of synthetic grass, a surface that is expensive to install, but requires little maintenance. FIFA, the international governing body of soccer who has long been against artificial surfaces, recently approved this new synthetic surface for high-level competitions.

This new synthetic grass, which eliminates the problem of muddy fields, is also slated to be installed at North Seattle's Ingraham High School in 2001. The GSSL is unable to play at Ingraham now because the field is weedy, rough, and unsafe. A proposal also exists to build 4 or 5 synthetic grass soccer fields at Magnuson Park, improving and expanding on the facilities that presently exist. There is currently no time line on the Magnuson Park project.

The GSSL will continue to provide players of all skill levels a chance to participate in the world's most popular sport on a year-round basis, even if they often must leave town to do so. "Until we get more fields, teams will have to travel out of the city," Parker says.

For more information call the GSSL at 782-6831 or e-mail soccer@seanet.com.