It's going to be another big year for soccer Boissevain and President of the Boissevain Soccer Association, Jennifer Beard, couldn't be more excited.
As the first year President, Beard says she's really looking forward to what this year will bring. "I'm so excited, soccer in Boissevain has been growing for years. It's so exciting to see the kids out there having fun, I'm really looking forward to it."
For the Boissevain Soccer Association, it's for specific ages, as Beard explains. "Within the program itself, we have the Tykes, which is age three and four, U6, which is five and six, U8, which is seven and eight, U10, for nine and 10 and U12 for 11s and 12s. Each level, soccer evolves. So the tykes, they get to run around and it's like organized chaos watching them out there chasing around that ball."
Beard says having all those ages is important for families in Boissevain but also for the surrounding areas. "The Boissevain Soccer Association, we will travel to Killarney and they'll travel to us, same as Souris and Nesbit/Wawaneesa. The tykes play just in their own town. The U6s have the option but the U8,U10 and U12 travel to those towns and it's great for them to have that experience."
At the end of the day, Beard believes it's all about fostering the love of the sport with young people in the community. "I've been involved in soccer since the early 1980's and just the love of the game is so pure. The opportunities for kids as they move up the ranks of soccer, from recreation to the professional level, it's amazing. To hear the kids talking about professional soccer players from Canada, it's so much fun. With the FIFA World Cup being in Canada in 2026, the kids, especially the U10's and U12's, they want to be like the international players. It's been great to see it grow and to give the kids the opportunity to learn the game, it's been phenomenal."
Of course, Beard says there are challenges as they head into the season but she knows they're in a community that will support them. "Within Boissevain, the biggest challenge has been field availability. We are very lucky in the town support of the program, they've provided a temporary location while working on finding a permanent location. Part of the challenge where the fields are now, is water. To be fair, the other towns around also have problems with water on the fields. When the season is first starting, we can have a really wet field and it becomes unplayable. The number one issue moving forward is finding parents who will coach or manage, plus finding referees. It's a big ask, I know a lot of places are having those challenges but that's the biggest issues for us, finding coaches and referees."
One positive is that Beard says there are local players who give back by being referees. "We are lucky that a few players do give back that way. It's a great thing to do but we understand it's difficult because they're often playing at the same time we would need them to referee. It's hard to be in two places at once, but some do manage to do it. It makes a huge impact and is a great thing for us."
For parents wanting to register their kids or become coaches, Beard says it's very easy to find that information. "Go to our Facebook page (Facebook), all the information is there. Our registration did just close, but I'm still accepting registrations for kids who want to play. I'm not going to say no. I'm more than willing to take anyone who wants to play. I'd rather have too many kids and create new teams than say no. Every kid deserves to be out there on the pitch."
Tomorrow on DiscoverWestman.com, Jennifer Beard will be talking about the other programs she's involved in, the South West United Soccer Association.