Youth soccer ends on high note

Fort Frances Youth Soccer finally got a taste of summer weather Saturday—just in time to wrap up its 2008 season at the St. Francis Sportsfields.
“We had a little trouble with weather all season, but thankfully we ended up with a nice day [Saturday],” FFYS president Sara Gould said.
“Everything was a success,” she enthused. “Our registration numbers were the highest yet [more than 700 kids] and we did the playoff format for the first time this year, so the kids were more pumped up and excited to participate.”
The playoff format subsequently led to two championship finals in Division IV and V, with both going down to the wire.
In Division V (where teams are identified solely by the colour of their jerseys), “Maroon” took the crown over “Green” by a 2-1 margin.
“They have gone by colour for so many years, and we talked about going with country names [like in Division IV] but everybody is so used to this, and it’s a tradition, so we figured we’d stick with it,” Gould noted.
The Division IV final, meanwhile, featured a hotly-contested match-up between “France” and “Germany,” who battled to a 0-0 tie through regulation time.
“Germany” nearly took the title in the overtime, but “France” keeper Chris Jensen made a big save to preserve the tie and send the game to penalty kicks.
That save was a sign of things to come as Jensen prevented “Germany” from scoring in the shootout while his teammates bulged the twine three times to take the crown.
“That team [Germany] hasn’t lost all year,” France co-coach Vince Gouin noted. “We had some chances, really at both ends by both teams, but what an exciting way to finish the year.”
In related news, the inaugural winner of the Bryce Devoe Memorial Award for most dedicated player in Division V also was awarded during the final medal ceremony Saturday.
Devoe was struck and killed by lightning on the soccer pitch last May.
This year’s recipient was Sara Kellar of Team “Red,” whom Gould said was more than deserving of the recognition.
“[She] is very deserving and is somebody who has come around personally to help out on a number of occasions, and is somebody who not only plays but also refs, and makes for a good first recipient of this award,” Gould noted.
The continued rise of soccer’s popularity across Canada may be a head-scratcher to some onlookers, but Gould feels the sport offers an alternative that’s both fun and affordable.
“We keep our league fairly uncompetitive so anybody can come out here and have a good time,” she remarked. “Co-ed is also something different, but I think the number-one thing that attracts people to soccer is that it’s relatively inexpensive and, because it’s a short season, not a big commitment.”
Saturday’s wind-up also featured a steady supply of refreshments and hotdogs, with many volunteers working the barbecue all afternoon.
While Gould suggested they could never have enough volunteers to support the league, she was quick to thank those who went above and beyond to make the season the success that it was.
“We have a lot of people who come out and wear many hats, it’s a really good group,” Gould praised.
“But for Division IV and V, we need certified refs now, so next year we are going to try to incorporate more referee clinics in to give more people a chance to get certified,” she added.