LAKELAND – Sportsmanship is a cornerstone of competitive athletics.
Over the long weekend, the Lakeland’s women’s soccer team competed at the senior soccer provincials in Edmonton held from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, where they ended up bringing home the Fair Play Award, which embodies respect for opponents, adherence to the rules, and integrity and dignity in every aspect of the game.
Despite a challenging weekend with one tie and three losses, Melissa Foglietta, executive director of Lakeland District Soccer Association, commended the team for their performance. Lakeland District Soccer Association governs and promotes soccer’s growth and development in the Lakeland. It is the liaison between community soccer associations and the Alberta Soccer Association.
“Although their overall results were not ideal, everyone came away feeling great about how the weekend went. The team was proud to tie the top seeded Edmonton team and come away with the Fair Play Award,” she says.
Foglietta says this year marked the second time the Lakeland sent an all-female to the outdoor provincial tournament.
While the association’s women’s program is still in its infancy, Foglietta says she hopes the program will continue to grow in the future.
“The senior level is open-age so players from 16-years-old can participate. This season, we had players ranging from 16 to 41 on the Lakeland women’s team,” she explains.
Soccer season
Overall, the outdoor season was a success, says Foglietta.
The Tier 4 season, which ran from May to July, culminated with the Alberta Soccer Provincial tournament hosted by the St. Paul Soccer Association. Lakeland teams secured three gold, three silver, and three bronze medals, along with three Fair Play Awards.
In the Tier 3 division, which ran from July through August, Lakeland FC’s U13 Girls team won gold, and the U17 Boys team took bronze at provincials in Camrose. Two of the FC teams are also competed in the Little Bear Tournament in Revelstoke, B.C. from Sept. 6 to 8.
“Also running throughout the summer, we had a senior co-ed league with teams participating from Bonnyville and St. Paul. The senior league gives players the opportunity to stay active through the summer months in a non-competitive, fun environment,” she says.
“We hope to continue the momentum of our senior league into this upcoming indoor season. Last year, we had five senior teams participating in the indoor league and we hope to see the same or more this 2024-25 indoor season.”
Other developments
Foglietta says many clubs also offered summer camps, and registration numbers are on the rise in the Lakeland, “with multiple teams at various age levels.”
The outdoor season in Cold Lake and St. Paul, for example, saw two U13 boys' teams, while Bonnyville had three U13 boys' teams participating in the league.
Challenges
However, as the sport approaches the indoor season, Foglietta says some challenges arise, such as with the lack of indoor facilities.
The indoor league uses boarded facilities and participates at provincials also in boarded facilities. In the Lakeland, there are only three indoor facilities that provide the needed space – the C2 Centre in Bonnyville, the Bold Center in Lac La Biche, and the Energy Centre in Cold Lake.
“Some communities do not have a proper indoor boarded facility or are faced with losing space to other community groups,” she explains.
For the upcoming indoor season, Foglietta encourages members to reach out to their local clubs for information on registration. “Space is limited so registering early is always recommended.”
Also, she reminds communities that KidSport chapters in the Lakeland provide financial assistance, and to visit: kidsportcanada.ca if they require.
“For now, we are just forging ahead with planning our indoor season and hoping to make it a good one,” concludes Foglietta.