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Indoor soccer tournament |
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| FTLComm - Tisdale - Sunday, January 26, 2003 | ||||||
 The corridors of Tisdale Middle Secondary School were crowded Saturday as players, parents and spectators made their way from game to game. With both the gym and the auditorium available for competition the RECPlex is an outstanding facility for such a large indoor soccer tournament. Teams from Melfort, Nipawin and Kinistino |
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 joined Tisdale in tournaments for children aged under 14, under 12, under 10 and under 8. The two older groups used the whole floor space of the auditorium and the two young groups were using the gym and in both case perfect conditions. |
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 What struck me as I looked this tournament over was the level of organisation with coaches, officials and an easy to follow schedule of games, this was a superior project. With five players on the floor for each game and a few on the bench it meant that each player was involved and there was little sitting around. While on the floor the games that I saw were spirited and the skill levels remarkably well developed. Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the country and this past year with the Canadian teenagers triumph in Edmonton and the |
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 outstanding showing of our women's team this fall soccer is no longer a sport played elsewhere it is now obvious, mainstream. The coaches of every team were on their toes seeing that every player got time in the game and in soccer the game strategy has to be worked out in practice because during the game there is simply no time for the coach to play the kind of game that is so much a part of other sports like hockey and baseball. |
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 This is the coach for the under eight blue team from Nipawin who in moments after this picture began their game against one of the Tisdale teams. In the sequence of pictures below watch for a three footer with pony tail who was at the centre of every play. I have to admit that it wasn't until I began taking pictures of Tisdale's girl's high school team did I realise what a great game soccer is but my present enthusiasm is more than matched by the contingent of parents and supporters for each team. |
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 Playing soccer is a very different thing then on a field. The game is much faster since the ball does not go out of bounds needing a throw in or corner kick. The smaller playing space does not detract from the game as the number of players is reduced to four players and a goalie for each side which pretty much makes the game flow as it would with a full team on an outdoor field. The smaller goal evens things up and increases the odds for the goalie thus maintaining the low scoring games we expect from the sport. |
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 Congratulations to the organisers of the event and a special note of commendation to the officials and coaches who made the tournament possible. Though growing up was difficult and most of us would not like to repeat that process watching the fun these children were having made me wish I could step into a time machine and be able to participate in a tournament like this one. |
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