WEST OTTAWA- West end soccer clubs announced today they will
merge competitive programs for children ages 10 to 12 starting this year.
The merger will allow the Kanata, Goulbourn, West Carleton and Almonte
Soccer associations to produce stronger boys and girls teams, said Shelly
Goertzen, general manager of Kanata Soccer.
The clubs hope to eventually merge all programs. None of the
changes will affect recreational, house-league or adult soccer. Each of the soccer associations will remain autonomous organizations.
Starting in 2010, the clubs will hold one set of tryouts for
each age category, with the players competing under the name of West Ottawa
Soccer.
The best players from all four clubs will be placed on the
top team in each age category, said Goertzen.
“If we have a bigger pool of players, we can form stronger
teams and we can shoot for promotion to the Ontario Youth Soccer League, which
is a provincial league,” said Goertzen.
One of the reasons for the merger is the push from the
Canadian Soccer Association to improve development programs, allowing Canada to
eventually field a more competitive team at the World Cup.
“There’s nothing to say that in a few years the west end
couldn’t produce another national player,” said Goertzen.
Kanata’s Kristina Kiss played
for Canada’s
national women’s soccer team during the 2000s.
The four clubs will hold one set of tryouts for each age
category in competitive U-10 to U-12, starting this year.
The changes will mean:
* U-10 premier boys: a team based in Kanata and one in Goulbourn.
* U-10 premier girls: a team in Kanata and one in Goulbourn.
* U-11 premier boys: An A team in Goulbourn and a B team in Kanata.
* U-11 premier girls: An A team in Goulbourn and two B teams
in Kanata.
* U-12 premier boys: An A team in Kanata, a B team in Almonte.
* U-12 premier girls: An A team in Goulbourn, two B teams in
Kanata.
* U-10 girls Div. 1: teams in Almonte, Goulbourn, West
Carleton and two in Kanata.
* U-10 boys division 1: teams in Almonte, and two teams each
in Goulbourn, West Carleton, and Kanata.
* U-11 Div. 1 girls: teams in Almonte, Goulbourn and West
Carleton and two in Kanata.
* U-11 division 1 boys: teams in Almonte, Goulbourn and West
Carleton and two in Kanata.
* U-12 Div. 1 girls: teams in Kanata, Goulbourn and West Carleton.
* U-12 Div. 1 boys: teams in Goulbourn, Kanata and West Carleton.
In the past, the four clubs found it difficult to field
teams at all levels of play – regional, premier and Div. 1 – forcing some
players to either travel to other clubs or quit the sport.
“It’s very difficult for Almonte to field a team at a higher
level, i.e. premier or regional because of their population base,” said Andy
Illingworth, president of the Almonte Soccer Club.
Teams that play on mini-fields (U-9 to U-11) require 14
players on a team’s roster.
“We might only have eight or nine (during any given year),”
said Illingworth.
The merger allows Almonte’s most talented players to compete
on premier league teams, he added.
“All around it’s a very good thing for Almonte and any other
small club that wants to join,” he said.
A larger pool of players will allow the newly formed West
Ottawa Soccer Association to field stronger teams, said Goertzen.
The idea is to put the best players on the best teams, she
added.
“If you’re a good player you want to play against good
players,” she said. “We’ll be able to place the strongest players on one team
instead of half on one and half on the other.”
Last year, Goulbourn and Kanata offered a joint team for players in
the U-10 and U-11 girls competitive category.
“That worked out quite well and also drew the interest of
other clubs, particularly in West Carleton and Almonte,” Goertzen said.
TRAVEL
Parents of competitive players might have to travel outside
their community for games and practices.
“I anticipate some parents might not like that,” said
Goertzen. “We’ll see what we can do to facilitate a car pool.”
Illingworth said people in Almonte are used to travelling
well outside their community to play soccer games.
Registration for the 2010 season opened today for Kanata
Soccer.
Tryouts for the U10 to U12 competitive boys and girls
programs will be held at the Thunderbird Sports Centre in Kanata,
the Oz Dome in Stittsville; full-field tryouts and games will be held in Gloucester and Nepean.
blair.edwards@metroland.com