Running a successful sports association means drawing on all levels of a community and the Innisfil Stampeders Soccer Club is no exception.
With the soccer season set to start in two weeks, volunteers have been busy registering more than 950 athletes and recruiting more than 80 coaches and countless referees.
While the club has a solid core of volunteers, six-year president Alwyn Vanden Berg says they can always use more.
“We’re always looking for volunteers, especially in coaching,” he said.
The club started in 1976 as the Alcona Minor Soccer Association, but in 2000 changed over to the Innisfil Stampeders since they wanted to “be more of a reflection of the community,” said Vanden Berg.
It was also so Innisfil residents would realize the club wasn’t just in Alcona.
“We wanted it to reflect where kids were actually living,” said Vanden Berg, adding players come from all over the area, including some who hop the border from Barrie.
Player’s ages range from four years up to adult with the bulk of the registrants under 12. Most of the teams are recreational, but there are four teams that play at the competitive level, all of them girls ranging from under 12 to under 15.
“It’s just the girls (who play competitive),” said Vanden Berg. “They’re the ones who have been shining over the years.”
He credits the interest in the girl’s game with fewer options that girls have for summer sports. With many boys playing lacrosse, baseball or rugby there isn’t as much demand for the competitive soccer teams.
“The girls don’t have the same opportunity to play those sports,” he said.
Two of the teams play at the premier level in the Central Girls Soccer League.
There’s been a small increase in numbers over last year made up mainly of new people to the community. And while the numbers haven’t changed much, what is new is the addition of a boys and girls soccer camp for ages 8-12. Vanden Berg hopes the camp will grow in the years to come but that will have to wait until more fields come on line.
“Next year we’ll be at the new (Innisfil) Rec Centre,” he said, adding that playing on the new recreation complex fields will be a good selling feature for the club.
The Stampeders have been a strong supporter of the recreation facility from the beginning, having raised $50,000 through fundraising to contribute to the project. Reaching the $50,000 benchmark gives them the naming rights on one of the four soccer fields, which they plan to name after the club.
But as with everything at the Stampeders it comes back to community.
“We’ve continually supported the Innisfil Rec Centre,” said Vanden Berg. “We’ve donated and pledged money, it’s about giving back to the community. We try to give back as much as we can.”
Along with expanding the camp in future years, the Stampeders plan to host a tournament once they’re on the new fields. Fields limited their ability to hold a tournament in past years when their largest fields were at the Innisfil Beach Park with smaller playing areas available in Alcona, Stroud and Churchill.
It may seem like the main focus is on children, but as in all communities there is a place for adults. The men’s competitive team won the entire York Region Competitive League Cup last year. They beat a Premier team to do it, and it was the first time a Division 1 team won the Cup.
As a result the men’s team has been promoted to the Premier level for the 2008 season.
Today's Weather 
A few clouds and 27°C
A few clouds and 27°C
