By Jason Stacy

A group of kids ventured out into the water. A lifeguard quickly jumped down from her stand and screamed for them to be careful. It seemed to be a normal weekend, but the lifeguard was quickly silenced by a crazed parent. ``Shoot Bart! Shoot Bart! Shoot!'' the parent yelled, her voice replaced by a cheer as the ball sailed into the goal.

Soccer goals took the place of lounge chairs and referees' whistles took the place of lifeguard's whistles. It wasn't a normal weekend. Nearly 2 miles of the beach, 14 blocks from Rudee Inlet to 13th Street, was transformed into the world's largest sand soccer tournament. The inhabitants were 546 teams, more than 5,000 competitors and as many as 20,000 spectators. It's a competitive soccer tournament, but also a giant beach party.

Debbie Thompson of Virginia Beach had two children playing and wanted to be near the party. She rented a hotel room despite living less than 15 miles away. Tammy Condron's traveled from Gloucester, Va., to support her son Adam, 14, for the fourth straight year. Despite mist and a cool breeze, teams began to hit the beach Friday. Most are staying until the games finish today. What Adam Condron calls the ``soccer party of the season'' kicked off Saturday.

Opponents of the Portsmouth Bandits might have had trouble telling the difference between the ball and Kalin Rosales. Other than the ball's red and black logo, the two looked similar. Rosales, 14, got his hair cut May 30 to resemble a soccer ball. Rosales bleached his hair the past three tournaments, but wanted it to be special this time. ``He's gotten a lot of compliments,'' his mother, Jeaneen, said. ``People are like `Can I touch your head?' ''

The West Point Freedom, a team of 12-year-old boys, only recently heard of sand soccer. After a tie in their first game Saturday, the kids were talking about next year's trip. ``It took a little while to get used to, but it's the best,'' Hunter Shreaves said. Having never played on sand or barefoot, the kids spent Thursday practicing barefoot on grass. Shoes are not allowed in sand soccer. Some people tape their feet or wear socks for protection. At the suggestion of past competitors, the Freedom players did both, combining colorful knee-high soccer socks with white tape.

Although 90-degree heat can be good for a tan, it can hinder soccer. Last year, team Fuego, a 30-and-over team from Northern Virginia and New Jersey, struggled in the heat. ``We had one guy who almost fainted,'' Gabriela Araujo said. Saturday, the conditions were perfect for soccer. The sun pierced through the clouds, but a cool breeze kept the fields comfortable. ``The conditions are very good for the players,'' Araujo said. Fuego made its home between fields 14 and 15, coloring the sand with giant umbrellas and tents. More than 50 friends and family made the trip, kicking it off with a parents-kids soccer game at 7 p.m. Friday. ``We do it every year,'' Araujo said. ``It's great fun. It's a great family atmosphere.''

With his day done, a teenager pushed through a crowd near field 23, trying to reach the boardwalk. The party was in full swing. He looked back toward his friends, who had disappeared into the melee and shouted, half muffled by the nearby music and slowly building beach party: ``Hey, isn't there a soccer tournament around here.''