The 2025 sport season approaches! Although hockey is an all-season sport, come spring it is joined by baseball and soccer in our rural communities. It is decision time for parents and kids alike, as many children are playing two or three sports. Spring through summer finds baseball and soccer overlapping, making the logistics for parents and kids very challenging.
As our children approach their teenage years most begin to develop a sense of which sport they may choose to focus on. They may want to play them all for as long as they can, but the reality is that cost, time management, and the logistics of getting to practice and games becomes a difficult road to travel.
For me, the decision was extremely hard. I was playing football, basketball, baseball, and soccer when I hit my teens. Yes, I was a sports junkie! From ping pong to swimming, I loved all sports. That said, I had two brothers who also liked sports, so you can imagine the parents trying to make everything work.
(Note: back in the day “as kids” we actually never thought this was a big deal — it was just what parents did — but looking back it was a very big deal.)
So as we approach the 2025 season, many kids and parents will be making some important decisions as they look at their options in the world of recreation. Let us not forget there is also dance, theatre, martial arts, and (yes) “school” that may also come into play at the end of the day!
Sometimes, if you enjoy and/or excel at more than one sport, a number of factors can determine which direction you may choose to focus on. Back in the day I chose soccer for a number of reasons, and to this day love the sport as much as I did 60 years ago.
There were a few things that contributed to this decision. I was very small, but quick. I liked team sports, but individuality was a highlight on the soccer pitch. When you had the ball you were the decision maker, and possibly the difference maker. You could speed up the game, slow it down, change the direction, be the final defence or have the winning assist or be the goal maker. Strategy was a huge part of the game. You had to be observing and thinking all game long, stay focused. For me it was the perfect fit, physically and mentally.
Simply put, I loved the game, but I didn’t know how good I could be until I went to soccer camp. That is where and when the pieces of the puzzle came together for me. First off, I found out on day one that I wasn’t nearly as good as I thought I was. However, on day two the coaches and instructors made it clear that with a little hard work I could be very good. From that day on, soccer was my sport.
Every story is different if you have a love of sport. Every journey follows a unique path, and sometimes the tools are just not available to give our rural kids every opportunity that big city kids have. One of those opportunities is camps. For soccer, baseball, and hockey, Kamloops is often the closest community where camps are available, and the cost and time can be prohibitive.
To this end, the South Cariboo Minor Soccer Association (SCMSA) is excited to announce that we have partnered with "Kamloops United” and are working with this excellent organization to bring soccer camps to the Ashcroft area. The Kamloops United team includes Luis Adamo (one of the founders of SCMSA) and David Ousted, former Vancouver Whitecaps (and DC United and Chicago Fire) goalie.
President Lyle Dos Santos of Kamloops United is excited about the possibilities of the partnership, and has been instrumental in making this happen for our extended area. Thank you!
One last thank you to our SCMSA president, Trish Schachtel, who has also been on top of this venture, and of course to the entire new executive, who are in the second year of their learning curve to keep SCMSA alive and well! As Luis Adamo put it, we are part of rebuilding a whole new era in youth soccer for our area. Seems like a winner!
So please go to the South Cariboo Minor Soccer Association Facebook page and show your support for the soccer camps. If we want to make this an annual event, the “buy in” during the first year is important. Give Trish or Taylor a shout and let them know your kids are interested.
Last year our team members were ball boys and girls at a Rivers FC game. They got to stand at the centre line with both teams, and during the game were chasing down balls with the best seats in the house: right on the sideline.
Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Logan Lake, and area: if you are interested please give us a shout, because time is getting short. This is a wonderful offer, so let’s show everyone some SCMSA spirit and embrace this fantastic opportunity. Registration for the 2025 season is now open, and new this year is a pre-school team in Ashcroft: come check it out!
