All is Well in Soccer – So Far

The provincial government’s decision to ease the COVID-19 regulations on distancing and group sizes came as a relief to nearly everyone involved in sports of all kinds, but it’s likely that soccer addicts – of which there are many – were happier than most.

A good example is Mike Thome, executive director of the Edmonton District Soccer Association, which provides a year-long competitive home for some male and female 30,000 athletes – 20,000 in the youth category and about 10,000 in the adult bracket, aged 17 to 45.

Thome, who once worked for the indoor Edmonton Trappers and also spent time in the Edmonton Eskimos front office, let his enthusiasm show as he discussed the positive picture that took shape this week for his game and his combination of leagues and divisions covering the Greater Edmonton area and spreading at least as far as Drayton Valley and Camrose.

Almost certainly, the flattest spot came about three months ago, when COVID-19 unsettled Alberta and the rest of the world. As sports officials rushed to make the correct decisions, the Alberta Soccer Association announced the cancellation of all playoffs for 2020. Normally, the finals are staged on Labour Day weekend. This year, almost certainly, league games will take their place.

“We could get started on our league play on around July 15, maybe a little earlier,” Thome said hopefully. “With no playoffs, if things go well, we should be able to keep going until September.”

Certainly, that’s welcome news for teams that rushed to re-submit their 2020 financial applications this week. “We lost about 100 teams right away after the virus hit,” said Thome. “Already, we’ve had several send us money (or at least) notified us that they’re coming back.”

There is, of course, continuing focus on Edmonton FC and Calgary’s Foothills franchise, which renewed their training for what seems to be a promising development in the Canadian Premier League. Thome is among those who remember the arrival of the Edmonton Drillers into international soccer after Peter Pocklington purchased the Oakland Stompers for his outdoor team and the Chicago Power to play indoors.

Soccer’s growth in Alberta’s growth in soccer since those days has been astonishing although, somehow, the province’s high school teams do not compete for a provincial title while rugby and other sports consider any provincial crown to be well worth pursuing.

Thome admitted to some surprise that no such crown is available. Every significant part of the province has youth and adult (even senior) players in abundance.

But there are other, large issues on hand right now.

An admitted highlight was the permission for as many as 50 to gather in a group. “Now, two teams can practice and work out together,” Thome said. But the competitors must stick together; before they can work with other opposition, the familiar 14-day shutdown period must take effect.

“Players are expected to maintain their (two-metre) distance almost all the time,” Thome explained. “Now, thougn, it’s OK for two players to compete for a ball. If they get too close together for a few seconds, it will be allowed.

Under the relaxed rules, goalkeepers ae free to put their hands on a ball, which means live challenge on shots and spreading the ball to teammates. Individuals are permitted to pass back and forth although previously “it would have been best for every player to bring his (or her) own ball. They could work on the skill of dribbling, but they couldn’t pass to other players.”

At this point, the picture is thoroughly positive. Soccer players and fans have their fingers crossed that it will stay that way.

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