Thirty-six regional teams from Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, and Fort St. James filled the high school soccer fields on May 25 for the annual Active Start Soccer Festival held and hosted by the Fort St. James Youth Soccer Association.
A total of 700 players aged four to 10, parents, coaches, volunteers, and spectators participated in the tournament.
With an emphasis on fun, participation, and good sportsmanship, the teams did not play for a trophy but rather to develop their skills as a team and as individual players in a competitive setting.
The games were a success thanks to our local businesses Overwaitea Foods for donating complimentary ice cream sundaes to the players of the tournament, Integris Credit Union for providing our local teams and their coaches with reusable water bottles, and the youth and adult volunteers who organized the tournament concession and refereed the games.
Fraser Lake will be hosting the next divisional tournament on June 21 for player aged 11-18.
If you are someone with an interest in refereeing soccer games for mini and divisional level games within Fort St. James and the region, or are a parent, coach, or player who wants some extra knowledge on the game, the Soccer Club will be hosting a referee clinic for all interested.
Contact Dave at dbirdi@fortstjames.ca for more information.