Fort Frances Youth Soccer wrapped a season that was both significant and at times difficult on Saturday, but organizers didn’t catch any breaks on the last day of the year.
“We lost our trophies! We don’t know where they are,” laughed vice president Tara Redford. “So our goal for next year is to find our division four and division five trophies.”
The division four winning yellow Tornadoes and division five winning Maroons had to make do with medals on Saturday afternoon at the St. Francis Sportsfields as FFYS celebrated a year where the organization saw record attendance of 700 children.
“If enrolment stays like this then definitely next year we have to look at changing some of our strategies and how we go about implementing the program,” Redford said.
She added that would almost definitely spell a need for more volunteers with FFYS. “We definitely don’t want to go the other way.”
In addition to the division winners, a special new award was introduced – the Bryce Devoe Memorial Award for most dedicated player. The award – a plaque with annual nameplates affixed, slated to be displayed at the Memorial Sports Centre – was awarded for 2007 to Devoe himself, who was struck and killed by lightning late last month on the soccer field.
“It was sure fun having him on the team,” said Devoe’s coach, Gord Witherspoon. “You knew he was giving one hundred per cent.”
FFYS also took a moment during the awards ceremony to announce the anonymous donation of a lightning detection machine. The details of the machine are to come but Redford said the organization hopes to have the detector installed by the start of next season.
“We are so grateful to anything that helps protect the children,” she added. “Our goal is not necessarily for them to score goals.”
Witherspoon’s Green team was one of the teams in a four-way tie in division five that had to be decided in a shootout to seed teams between second and fifth. The Maroons took second, winning the gold medal match on another shootout following a tie final.
Things were more straightforward for the division five Tornadoes. Their coach, Kerry Grinsell, said the wrap tournament was an “excellent day.”
“Kids all had fun. They came, played, played their best and really persevered.”
While Redford was concerned with bringing in more volunteers for next year, she made sure to thank those who helped out this year – especially “John Pierce, Russ Ling and gang” on the refreshments.
“They’ve been grilling all day,” she laughed. “And they made sure everyone was fed.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
