By TERRY PUGH
The most popular sport in the world is fast becoming a major player in Saskatchewan.
“Soccer is accessible, affordable and welcoming,” said Cam Houle, Technical Director of the Valley Soccer Association (VSA), the umbrella organization that includes 13 communities and soccer clubs in the Saskatchewan Valley region. “It’s no surprise it’s growing, because it’s attractive to a lot of families. The equipment is minimal. You just need a rectangular piece of grass, two nets and a ball. Plus, you don’t need to know how to skate in order to play the game. You just have to know how to kick a ball and run.”
The VSA is one of the largest minor sports organizations in the region, and the fourth largest minor soccer association in Saskatchewan; behind only Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert, according to Houle.
“We’re growing every year,” said Houle. “This spring, we have a total of 2,133 registered players. Five years ago, we had a total of 1,800. And it’s not just kids; we now have an adult league that has 60 players. There’s roughly 450 players in the indoor soccer program that we began a couple years ago.”
The VSA outdoor soccer schedule lasts for about eight weeks from early May to the end of the school year, while the indoor soccer program at the Martensville Recreation Centre goes for 20 weeks during the winter months.
Houle said the VSA began back in the early 1980s, when minor soccer associations in several towns in the region began coordinating their schedules to increase inter-community play among teams. The organization expanded over the years, and now includes a dozen communities with players ranging in age from pre-schoolers to adults. While most of the teams are grassroots, recreational clubs that play in the association’s house league; the VSA also fields an elite team, Valley United, in several age divisions including U9 Boys, U11 Girls, U11 Boys, U13 Girls, U13 Boys, and U15 Boys that compete in the Saskatoon Minor Soccer League.
The growing skill level of young players in the VSA is reflected in the number of players on Valley United teams. Three years ago, the Valley United teams had 52 players; this spring the teams now have 150 players.
On the other end of the spectrum, a day-long soccer jamboree for U5 players in Warman on June 21 highlights, not the skill, but instead the sheer fun of the game.
“The Warman Soccer Association puts on a U5 Jamboree every year,” said Houle. “They’re very brave to have all those little kids’ games going simultaneously all day long. But it’s so entertaining to just watch them. There’s a lot of dandelion-picking among some players, but everyone’s having fun, and in the end, that’s what matters.”
The rapid growth of the sport and the increasing demands on local volunteers prompted the VSA to create two full-time positions a few years ago. Houle took on the role of Technical Director, while Jaime Drader is the VSA Administrator. In addition, the organization still relies heavily on a small army of volunteers.
“When you consider all the soccer camps and clinics, and all the games among all the different age groups, there’s a lot going on,” said Houle. “For example, I certified 109 new coaches just this spring. We have 300 coaches in the valley at any given time.”
Houle said the VSA’s goals are to provide a safe, fun, accessible and affordable experience for youth and adults. As a team sport, soccer provides life lessons both on and off the field, he said, adding that youth from different communities playing alongside each other as teammates increases goodwill and builds friendships that last for years.
While soccer is unlikely to displace hockey as top dog in Saskatchewan’s sporting culture anytime soon, Houle said it’s quickly earning a place in people’s hearts.
“Soccer isn’t as ingrained in our culture as hockey is,” said Houle. “But the way soccer is growing, it’s going to be much more formidable in a few years. In other parts of the world, it’s a sport with a lot of inter-generational knowledge and experience. In those countries, young soccer players have parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who played the game their whole lives, so it’s a big part of their national culture.
“And because the rules of the game are exactly the same everywhere, it actually helps build a bridge between cultures. That’s part of the widespread appeal of soccer as a sport.”