Vancouver Whitecaps Soccer Clinic at Tsartlip an Overwhelming Success
On August 14th, 2024, over 70 youth headed to the soccer field at ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱ Tribal School for a day-long clinic with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Tsartlip has a long legacy in sports, including in soccer. Joseph Seward – who was selected to train with Real Madrid because of his exceptional skill – is just one of many Tsartlip community members who have gone on to play soccer in school or overseas. That’s why when Tsartlip Chief Financial Officer Steve McKay found out about the opportunity to host a clinic with the Vancouver Whitecaps, he knew Tsartlip had to be a part of it.
“It’s important for Tsartlip to host an event like this because Tsartlip has a deep soccer culture,” says McKay. “Soccer has been played for many decades and is an important part of the local community.”
The August 14th event – which was a partnership between Tsartlip, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Telus and Bank of Montreal – was provided free of charge to youth ages 6-17 and generated tremendous enthusiasm from the community. Originally capped at 75 registrants, the Whitecaps had to expand their capacity to meet the overwhelming demand. In the end, 87 youth registered to participate.
Youth in attendance enjoyed a full day of fun and skill-building with the Whitecaps. The day started with several hours for skills and drills, followed by a lunch of hot dogs, bananas, and cold drinks. Once everyone had lunch, the participants played games for several hours. According to McKay, the afternoon games were originally scheduled to end at 2PM but were extended to 3PM because the youth were having such a good time.
Also in attendance was Tsartlip Council member Joe Seward, father of Joseph Seward.
At the end of the day, participants left tired, inspired, and with Whitecaps swag – including soccer balls and water bottles – to help them remember the day. Parents also appreciated the opportunity, reaching out to McKay afterwards to express their gratitude.
According to McKay, the most memorable part of the day was “all the smiles on the kids’ faces.” “Everyone was so excited to be there and share their enthusiasm for soccer,” he said.
The event was made possible with the help of many community members and partners, including John Pereira of the Bank of Montreal who helped set up the clinic program, the ȽÁU, WELṈEW̱ Tribal School which provided their beautiful soccer field for the event, and, of course, the Whitecaps and all their phenomenal staff, especially Ryan Sidhu.
McKay is eager to keep the ball rolling with soccer in Tsartlip and encourages anyone who is interested in attending another clinic to contact him at [email protected]. “If people are interested in having a clinic again next year,” says McKay, “please let me know so we can start booking!”
This successful event is a celebration of Tsartlip’s continued commitment to excellence in sport, and is the perfect complement to the ongoing new soccer field project meant to provide a Tsartlip-based space for community members to play.
To stay up to date on this story and others, be sure to sign up for the Tsartlip newsletter.
