With close to 1500 members ranging in age from under 4 to
over 50, the rapid growth of the Valley East Soccer Club is showing no
signs of slowing down. In fact, in only its 3rd year of
operation, the Adult Division has expanded from its original 2 teams to
its current complement of 10 teams and over 200 men and women over the age
of 18.
Ken Desjardins, convenor of the Adult Division, is shown second
from the right in the front row with the rest of the Desjardins’ Food
Basics team he also sponsors. “There are many reasons for the popularity
of adult soccer. All of our games are one hour in length; we focus on
recreation instead of competition; our teams are mixed; we allow friends
and neighbours to select which team they want to play on; we have a
division of 18 to 25 year olds for the younger players and another
division where you have to be over 25 to play; and most of the players are
parents of children who play or enjoyed playing soccer themselves when
they were younger. We may have the skills, but our bodies are just slowing
us down a bit.”
The Valley East Soccer Club first introduced the adult division
several years ago when it became obvious that there was no where for a
person to continue the sport after the age of 18. It has become so popular
that when the 2006 season gets under way, there will be three adult
divisions: 18-25; 26-35; and over 35.
Anyone who is interested in watching the adult division can catch a
game at
9:00 p.m.
every Thursday and Sunday at the Howard Armstrong Sports Complex on
Elmview Drive
. The cost to register is $100 per player, which gives a person a sweater
and approximately 20 to 25 games counting the playoff weekend which will
take place this year from August 12 to 14.
The Valley East Soccer Club has experienced tremendous growth
during the past twenty years when it began with less than 300 players.
Parents like the fact that the games last only one hour and they still
have three weeks of summer remaining when the season is over. Many plan
their summer holidays during the last part of August because of this.
The growth continues in 2006 when it is expected that four more
large fields will be completed on the complex. This will allow the club to
host international and provincial events such as the OFFSA which was held
in
Valley East
in June.
