The Ridge Meadows Soccer Club is expecting that the association, and the sport as a whole, is going to enjoy a growth spurt, thanks to the success of the Canadian men in making the FIFA World Cup.
Canada had not been in the world championship since 1986, making this year only the second-ever appearance in the event. At the World Cup in Qatar this winter, Canada put in a great effort against a tough Belgian side in a 1-0 loss, then got its first goals on the biggest stage in losses against Morocco (2-1) and Croatia (4-1).
Already, the Ridge Meadows Soccer Club has been seeing more children wanting to get involved in the sport, based at least partly on the growing profile of Canada’s teams.
“With the success of both the men’s and women’s national teams, this has been happening for a while,” said Paul Turner, the sporting director of the club.
The spring season saw an increase of 400 players, up to 1,500. The association is expecting that the fall/winter season in 2023 will see another hike in sign-ups, up from the approximately 2,000 playing now, anticipating another 400 to 500 new players. That’s based on the sport’s popularity and a growing community with many new young families.
“Now we’ve got soccer stars that kids can see on TV,” he said. “You see kids with their Canadian (Team Canada) shirts on.”
“I know they didn’t get the result, but they certainly put Canada soccer on the map.”
With more players and teams comes a greater demand for coaches, referees, and adult support personnel.
“You need everyone for soccer to function.”
Turner heads all coaches and soccer programming in the club, while Shauna Williams is the operations manager.
READ ALSO: Ridge Meadows Soccer welcomes new coach to club
The growth in the game locally will ultimately create a need to develop more turf fields.
“We need more in the future, but the city has done a great job,” Turner said.
The sport will continue to be in the spotlight, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming up in Australia and New Zealand in the coming year, he noted.
Then, of course, the World Cup will be held in North America in 2026, with games slated for Vancouver as one of the official host cities. The event that is watched by billions will be hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
READ ALSO: Canada exits World Cup on third straight loss as Morocco profits from poor defending
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