The players just keep coming! This year, Maple Leaf Cavan Football Club had a record registration, with over 1600 players from age four to adult playing soccer on fields in and around the township including those at Maple Leaf Park, Crestwood Secondary School and Fleming College.
The bulk of the registration growth is in the younger age group. In 2008 the club began accepting children under four with 80 children in that age group, and they providing an abbreviated season of play to introduce the youngsters to the sport. In the 2016 this age group had grown to include over 468 players, and the House League group included 1283 registered players under the age of 15 this season.
At the more skilled end of the spectrum, the competitive program fielded 14 teams with a total of 199 players. Two of these teams compete at the highest competitive level of the game in the province.
With over 150 adult players in the league as well, this year the adults formed their own entity called Cavan Kickers. There is a Friday evening mixed league with 8 teams and a Sunday evening league for ladies over 18 years of age. (http://cavankickers.com/about/)
The club has come a long way since its inception in the mid 1980’s when some volunteers formed the Cavan Recreational Soccer Club to provide some inexpensive recreational options for their children. Volunteers included Harold Kloosterman and Dave Stabler, who helped to dig rocks out of the fields to remove tripping hazards for the children, along with Sally Samis who was president of the club in the early years. This year, both Harold and Sally are enjoying seeing their grandsons participate in the Under 4 division of the club they helped to found.
The club has achieved this growth because they are organized and professional in their approach to the league. The evidence is apparent in visiting the club’s website, which provides detailed information for parents, players, coaches and team sponsors on everything from schedules, contact lists, discipline regulations, organizational constitution and by-laws, as well as codes of conduct for coaches, players and parents. They even explain what kind of snacks to bring to the field. With games finished for the season, the website currently features information on how to register or try out for the 2017 season. With a waiting list for most teams, avid players are jumping on board early to secure a spot next year.
While the outdoor soccer season is complete, the club provides the opportunity for players to hone their skills during the off-season with a variation on the sport known as Futsal. This sport is played on a smaller field and usually done indoors. Teams consist of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper, where unlimited substitutions are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor soccer, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular soccer ball due to the surface of the field. The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces. Registration details for the upcoming season will be on the website mid-September on the team’s website at www.mlcfc.com.
The Maple Leaf Cavan Football Club is run by long-serving, dedicated volunteer Board of Directors led by President Tammy Aucoin whose efforts to provide affordable, fun and competitive opportunities for local youth and adults are drawing accolades from the community and beyond. From Aucoin’s receipt of the Ontario Soccer Association’s First Fantastic Female in Soccer award to the $54,100 Trillium Grant received last summer, this club is on a role, and our community is the beneficiary of their hard work. Thank you, and see you next year! KG
