Back in full Force

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/08/2021 (1705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

First, it was the pandemic, and then it was wildfire smoke that kept the St. Charles Force soccer teams from taking to the field to face off against their rivals.

But now, though, conditions are right for the U15 girls’ team to compete. Players took to Memorial Park Turf on July 27 to play what was only their second exhibition game of the year, over halfway through the summer.

“It was hard to be thrown back onto the field, but after a while staying at home, you really enjoy getting to play with all your teammates again,” said team co-captain Layla Little.

This is the 15-year-old striker’s second year with St. Charles Force. So far, the team’s high spirits and kind nature has kept her going through a peculiar year, she said, taking a moment from the pre-game warm-up to speak with The Metro.

Co-captain Elle Garriock, 14, helps keep the ball away from her team’s goal as a central defender. Lacing up for what she said was her “fifth or sixth year” on the team, Garriock said the return to play has been challenging, but waiting to play with her peers was even harder.

“I like the people that play on this team and the way the coaches teach us. Even after a bad game, they still help us,” she said.

Justin Marucci co-coaches the team with Peter Kilborne. The pair has been coaching these players since the U11 level in 2017. Training the same group of athletes — and getting to know their strengths and goals — has allowed the team to grow together.

“I think of them as my own daughters sometimes,” Kilborne said. “We put our heart and soul into training with these girls.”

Keeping the players motivated and focused on the sport after 18 months of virtual workouts and non-traditional games is the coaches’ main goal this season, Marucci said.

Throughout lockdown, the girls kept in shape through Sunday evening Zoom workouts, and when restrictions loosened, they split into groups of four or five to kick the ball around in indoor facilities.

“These are high-performance athletes — premier athletes — going from playing five days a week to nothing is pretty hard on them,” he said.  

The team has 14 games lined up this season — just two games shy of a typical year’s schedule.

The condensed schedule sees the girls attend two training sessions and one tactical session each week, on top of two games, bringing the total of soccer-filled days back up to last year’s measure.

Raffaele Cantafio is the technical director with the St. Charles Soccer Association.

“I think the kids are in a good place. A lot of people are shaking off the cobwebs. It’s going to take a while,” he said. “We found creative ways to keep them engaged and still follow the rules.”

The league continues to follow the Manitoba Soccer Association’s return to play guidelines.

Both Force coaches describe their league as competitive, but one that leaves room for laughter, lightheartedness, and personal growth that’s intended to serve the girls on and off the field.

“We want them to love the game of soccer so that when they get to the age of 16 or 17 years old that there’s still other opportunities for them to play the game,” Kilborne said. “Our goal is to try and basically keep them going for life.”  

Little and Garriock hope to continue playing soccer throughout high school, university and beyond. Both athletes are optimistic about this season, despite the late start.

“I hope that all of our hard work pays off eventually—whether it’s this season or next season—I hope it does pay off because we are working pretty hard,” Garriock said.