Whitecourt Minor Soccer Association seeks volunteers

By Rechell McDonald
The Whitecourt Minor Soccer Association will be holding an AGM at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre on Tuesday, January 17, at 7 p.m. The association is encouraging all soccer parents to come out and sit-in on the meeting. “Last year we had 535 players on 51 teams. It’s great to see young players out enjoying the game. Many start before age four and we hope to see them continue playing throughout their youth. Parents need to fill executive and coaching positions in order for this to happen,” explains Heather Bellerose, a WMS spokesperson.
Last year, the association was run by four to five key executive members which proved to be quite a heavy workload given the amount of children participating in the program. Soccer is a highly popular sport for children, specifically because it’s appropriate for children as young as three and is a great way to encourage physical activity and socialization. The problem the association is currently facing is that many of its veteran executive members will be moving on as their children are now entering high school. This has left a leadership void.
“Having the opportunity to familiarize incoming people with the operations of the organization before we leave is in the best interest of the kids who come out to play soccer,” continues Bellerose. “A majority of the workload fell to too few people, during a very brief season. With such expansion in player numbers comes additional logistics for planning teams, equipping coaches with jerseys, soccer balls, etc. We are also developing girls’ teams for the travel league we participate in with surrounding communities, and tournaments farther away. More players means more equipment, more fields, and more sponsors to provide jerseys and other necessities to keep us operating.”
The association is hoping to have 12 executives in place for the coming season with jobs that will include managing equipment, scheduling referees, contacting potential sponsors, co-ordinating field set-up with the town, arranging team photos to be taken, taking minutes at meetings, and more.