The long and harsh winter of 2013-2014 may have cost more than increased snow clearing spending for the Town of Ponoka. Apparently because of the cold and lots of snow, many parents may have just forgotten about the forthcoming spring and sports activities that will come with it.
One of those concerned about the drastically declined registration numbers for spring sports is Rob McArthur, the president of the Ponoka Minor Soccer Association.
“The numbers are currently about the half of where we stood at this time last year,” said McArthur in reference to the number of players who signed up for soccer during the recent annual general meeting of the association.
He said he had heard that the minor ball association’s registration figures were also down as compared to this time of last year.
Despite that, both McArthur and Greg Bendera, one of the soccer coaches and the board member of the association responsible for indoor soccer, remain optimistic that the figures will climb up fast once the now begins to go away and the sun begins to shine again.
Not only are they optimistic about catching up with last year’s levels, but they are strongly confident about the future of minor soccer in Ponoka.
Greg Bendera says when he took over the indoor soccer program, there were only 17 kids registered a few years ago whereas this year, there were a total of 51. And the U-14 girls team of the indoor soccer program are going to play in Edmonton this weekend in provincial competitions.
The indoor soccer has suffered this winter from lack of enough practice space due to the major renovations underway at the Ponoka Secondary Campus gym.
Bendera said the indoor soccer program practices were mostly shifted to the Centennial Centre gym and U-8 teams had to practice at the Youth Centre.
He hopes to have a more active indoor soccer next year with possibly two U-12 girls’ teams.
The good problem and kudos to Town of Ponoka
McArthur says this spring’s outdoor soccer program will suffer from a “good problem”, which, once resolved, will make Ponoka soccer scene a much brighter place to practice the sport.
The problem is the Lucas Heights area, just north of the hospital where two soccer pitches are to be developed after leveling and grading work is done by the County of Ponoka.
In the meantime, the association will continue to use Diamond Willow pitches and the Scout field for the games in the spring.
McArthur also praised the Ponoka town leadership for supporting the association.
“Honestly, for the first time, as long as I have been involved with soccer, this is the first year that the town has stepped up and earmarked $15,000 for the development of those fields,” he said.
“This is the first public show of support that the town has really given us.”
All in all, despite a slow start, come the end of summer, minor soccer could prove a big hit for Ponoka youth.