ST. PAUL – It has been two years since St. Paul’s indoor soccer program was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But just a couple weeks ago, young athletes laced up their runners and took part in their first indoor soccer practices.
Lori Cote, technical director for St. Paul Soccer Association, says returning to the pitch after the pandemic has been “amazing.”
The St. Paul Soccer Association is gearing up to play in the Lakeland Soccer League, with games beginning in November and Lakeland Cup scheduled for Feb. 4 and 5 in Bonnyville.
St. Paul Soccer has two co-ed teams in the youth division that will be participating in the indoor soccer league, which are the U13 and U17 teams.
“We [also] have two U11 teams, one of girls and one of boys,” that will also be participating.
One obstacle that St. Paul Soccer has faced with participating in the indoor Lakeland soccer season is a lack of facility. Without a dedicated space, the teams must practice in school gymnasiums, which was not possible during the pandemic due to rentals not being allowed at the gyms.
“So, places like Bonnyville and Cold Lake have been doing [indoor] soccer the last two years because they have a big indoor facility,” she explains, adding, the lack of an indoor facility “is the only reason we haven’t had [the program].”
With schools restricting the use of their facilities during the pandemic, “We basically had to shut our whole program down.”
The indoor soccer program is open to youth of any age group from about three years old to 19 years old. This year's indoor soccer program even has children as young as two and a half years old taking part.
Soccer
Soccer is a “great sport” for youth, giving them an opportunity to have fun and exercise, says Cote, who has been involved with St. Paul Soccer for several years. To those wanting to try out the sport or parents who wish to sign up their children in the indoor soccer program, she says the association provides quality coaching.
She also credits volunteers for their efforts in creating a “successful [indoor] program,” adding, she is “grateful to have such great people helping out.”
So far, Cote says parents have been glad to have their children participate in the indoor soccer program.
“I’ve been coaching for almost 30 years and never took a break,” she says, aside from during the pandemic’s forced shutdown.
“I think a lot of kids don’t realize how much they’ve missed it,” she says, and being back in the gym and having youth play the sport has been “just phenomenal.”
“Just to see the kids and the smiles on their faces running around has been great,” says Cote.
