With government health order restrictions still in effect, sports organizations throughout the province are still in a wait and see approach regarding if they will play any more games.
Even though outdoor soccer doesn’t happen until the spring, there are still indoor leagues and the Valley United Soccer Club has teams playing in the Saskatoon Youth Soccer indoor season.
The Saskatoon Youth Soccer indoor league fall season was cut short when all team sport activities were suspended at the end of November, which was part of a public health order from the provincial government.
Those restrictions were scheduled to be lifted on December 17 and was extended to January 15, and then again to January 29.
The Saskatoon Youth Soccer indoor league fall season was set to conclude on December 18, so the extension on the restrictions didn’t affect the fall season too much.
The Saskatoon Youth Soccer winter indoor season started up January 16 with training and practice sessions.
During the training and practice sessions, only eight players can be on the pitch at a time and there has to be three metres of physical distancing between participants while they are wearing masks.
Again, just like all sports in the province right now, it’s unlikely that any games will be played before the end of March.
Even though this is definitely a step back, the players can still participate in some sort of soccer activity. All of the respective teams’ previous game times that were already scheduled will be used as training sessions.
The home group will use one half of the field and the away group will use the other.
There will be portable field barriers in place at Saskatoon Soccer Centre separating the quarter field into two playing surfaces, and tarps have been added to the curtain separating the fields at Saskatoon Kinsmen Henk Ruys Soccer Centre.
Each group is suppose to remain in their designated playing area and abide by the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan – sports and activities guideline.
Again, it is very important that the group size of eight doesn’t exceed and there cannot be additional players on the bench or off the field rotating or subbing onto the pitch.
Despite there not being any games, Valley United Soccer Club president Randy Halisky is just glad to see the youth have the opportunity to at least practise and train in a group setting.
Valley United has four teams in the indoor league which include: the U11 boys Rangers, U13 boys Fury, U15 girls Rovers and U19 boys Fusion.
There is definitely uncertainty if the Saskatoon Youth Soccer winter indoor season will go back to its regular programming but they are doing their best to off soccer to the youth.
Of course all of the teams would rather be playing games but to be able to get some sort of organized activity in is definitely a bonus during these trying times.