Mitch Calvert
Yes, it’s cold out there, but Fort Frances Youth Soccer wants you to start thinking about spring anyway.
Registration dates for the new season, tentatively set to kick-off on April 27, will be held March 3-4.
The eight-week season winds up on June 20.
“That date [April 27] is obviously weather permitting,” FFYS president Sarah Gould said. “If we back it up another week, then we get into the issues of school being out and trying to have our year-end tournament held before then so that we don’t jeopardize [summer] holiday time.”
As with every youth program, volunteer coaches are in short supply, with Gould saying this year is no different.
“We keep growing every year [but] as kids get older, we lose some of the parents who volunteered and had been committed for years when their kids played,” she explained.
The FFYS has organized a mandatory coaches’ meeting, which is scheduled for the week of April 6 on two nights, which gives potential coaches the flexibility to choose which one to attend.
“If we do not have enough volunteer coaches, we will be faced with larger teams or even having to look at a first-come, first-served basis with registering players,” Gould warned.
She also said coaches will be given helpful drills to help organize their teams so even the inexperienced soccer enthusiast can do the job.
“Some parents are aware of the game and maybe played themselves, but others are hesitant to come volunteer their time because they aren’t confident in what they know,” Gould remarked. “So sometimes giving them some ideas can help them along.”
Youth soccer has grown by leaps and bounds here over the years thanks to its emphasis on fun, with reasonable registration and equipment costs making it an attractive option to parents.
Gould expects the total number of registrants to be in the 600-700 range once again.
There will be a $5 hike in registration fees at all levels due to inflation. “Squirts” (four-year-olds) will cost $40 per player while Divisions I-III now will cost $50 per person.
Games that require the full field (in Divisions IV and V), are bumped up to $65.
“Our fees have increased not only from the town, but also from the Ontario Soccer Association and vendor fees, but we are looking at a maximum of $5, so it’s not going to be significant,” Gould stressed.
“You have to consider soccer is one of the least expensive sports to play.”
All age groups encourage inclusion for all skill levels, with both boys and girls sharing the same field and playing together.
“It is a fun-focused league, not a competitive league,” Gould noted. “We find that it’s always gone well [as co-ed]. If you look at the numbers, if we were to split, then you are looking at having to play a lot of the same teams repetitively.”
Gould added regulations require certified referees for the older age groups, and that’s another area of short supply here.
“We are running into problems as there aren’t a lot certified in this town,” she said. “But if we can get support from the [OSA], because they put that mandate on us in the first place, then we may be able to bring in a clinic at cost and be able to certify more people that way.”
