STOUGHTON - The Stoughton Soccer Club hosted a fun tournament on May 28 and 29 in the town.
The weather was great with sunny and blue skies. The rain held off until the last game at 4:30 p.m., as this was a rain or shine tournament.
Beginning at 9 a.m. with the first of 20 scheduled games, three soccer fields were set up with bright green tents along the side lines for the players and coaches to take shade from the warm sun.
The under-7, U9 and U11 teams played on Saturday. At the end of each game, the coach from the team would select an MVP player from the opponent’s team.
There were 21 teams entered into this fun event, and it was at no cost to the teams as this was covered by the donations received by businesses in the area.
Erin Clark is founder and president of the Stoughton Soccer Club, which began in 2015. She felt it was important for her boys to play soccer and soon had the interest of other families in the area.
Clark loves soccer and was a player for Team Manitoba in her younger years. Soccer ran in her blood, as her father Gary Aubert played for Canada on the national team in 1973. He earned one cap and also scored a goal.
Since the organization began, each year has seen 100 kids register for the sport. Ages range from three up to 18 years. They also have an adult team.
Clark’s whole family is involved, with her children playing and her husband Rory taking on coaching. They are also the owners of the Stoughton Meat Market in Stoughton.
With three soccer fields on the go throughout the day, the well-planned tournament brought out family and friends to cheer from the side lines and offer support while the youngsters played.
The friendly and fun atmosphere created an enjoyable day for players and fans.
A well-stocked concession stand located indoors offered great food and treats. It proved to be highly successful with all proceeds going towards the local soccer club.
Throughout the day, one could hear the laughter of children as they blew bubbles or had a sideline game in the practice field.
“This club wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful volunteers, the amazing coaches and the generous donations from the businesses, and the diligent board,” said Clark.
Each game required two referees as well, with a mix between first-time referees and experienced officials.
Unfortunately, the skies opened up Saturday during the evening, dumping more than 75 millimetres of rain to the area, and the rain continued into Sunday. Although the tournament was rain or shine, the soccer fields turned into swimming pools and the second day of the tournament needed to be cancelled.
It is a decision that is not made lightly, but the safety of the players is primarily the first concern. Now the task of removing all the equipment remained and it was cleaned up in the rain by dedicated help.
The remaining games of the tournament for the U13 and U15/U18 teams will be rescheduled for June 5 with a 9 a.m. start time. The same schedule will be followed with a fun skills competition at 3 p.m.
