News release from the Red Deer City Soccer Association

RDCSA and Westerner Park Rekindle Long Standing Partnership

The Red Deer City Soccer Association (RDCSA) and Westerner Park are re-entering a multi-year partnership that will see the new Exhibition Hall of Westerner Park leased out to RDCSA. The lease, set to start in October 2022, will see the Soccer Association lay down a state-of-the-art indoor turf that will be multi-sport capable thus allowing for sub leasing opportunities. For Red Deer Renegades soccer players, it will be a place to call home as the turf can be used as a 9v9 field, or two 7v7 fields.

Prior to entering the COVID era, RDCSA and Westerner Park had a 13-year long partnership. This partnership started off inside the Stockmen’s Pavilion with one turf field. “This was a game changer for us as we were able to continue to train and develop our players in an environment that mimics outdoor game. We were one of the pioneers in popularizing indoor board less soccer in Alberta,” said Ado Sarcevic, General Manager for RDCSA. The needs of the soccer organization grew rapidly, as did the partnership with Westerner Park. This growth resulted in the purchase of two new turf fields and the rental of both the Agricentre West and Agricentre East facilities. Unfortunately, with the rise of COVID, the need for the indoor facilities diminished and the long-standing partnership would have to be put on hold.

With COVID starting to be a part of history, the Soccer Association has seen a record high number of registrations, even surpassing pre COVID figures. RDCSA President Dr. Stephen Kelly gave some insight, “It is great to see families getting back into sport. Kids need sport in so many ways: physical exercise, mental wellness, teamwork skills, building friendships and having fun. We look forward to providing the best possible experience for as many kids as possible.” With more youth than ever being interested in soccer, RDCSA had to be innovative in coming up with new ways to meet current and future demand. “This hall houses four change rooms and gives us the ability to have two 7v7 games running simultaneously or one 9v9 game. Our parents and fans will love the second-floor spectator area where they can watch the games while sipping on their favorite beverage. Our new world class turf has built in
padding and a Velcro system that makes the field virtually seamless. It also has no infill (rubber pellets you see on most turf) which gets to be quite a nuisance,” said Dr. Kelly. With the increased size of the facilities, RDCSA will look to bring their other soccer programs to Westerner Park. “We plan on getting all our players in this facility, grassroots all the way to our elite Renegades teams,” mentioned Kelly.

The future is bright for soccer in Red Deer and the possibilities for the growth of soccer are endless. The Association is extending an invitation to other sports organizations within the community. “We are planning on implementing an online booking system where anyone can go online and reserve a time slot,” said Sarcevic. A partnership that was put on hold, is now set to comeback stronger than ever before, looking to reach new heights in the Red Deer Community.