It was an interesting year for Westlock’s under-16 soccer team.
Playing in the Tricounty Soccer Association, the team was one of only two under-16 squads in a six-team division with four other under-18 clubs.
Coach Tim Flanders said despite being a younger squad up against many other older ones, the team held its own with four wins against the more mature competition.
On the flip side, the under-16 opponents from Athabasca proved to be a greater challenge, as Westlock lost two games to them in the early stages of the season; Westlock won one game after Athabasca forfeited.
Those three results prevented the Westlock side from earning a spot at the provincial tournament, Flanders said.
“Had we played that other U-16 team a little later in the season, we probably would have been going to the provincials,” he said.
Still, the season was a good one for Westlock, as the team showed a lot of improvement from Day One until the final game on June 27 at home.
The team’s final game was to be June 30 at home against Smoky Lake, but their opponents did not have enough players to field a full squad.
“The amount they improved from game to game is just amazing,” Flanders said. “I’m very proud of them and they should be very proud of themselves.”
In addition, the team had the added challenge of mixing boys and girls on one field. There is no mixed division for under-16 soccer teams, so Westlock’s squad played as a boys team because there were more boys on the team than girls.
Another challenge the team faced was occasionally being short of players. Once the team forfeited a game for lack of bodies, and on at least one occasion they played with only 10 players on the field instead of the usual 11, Flanders said.
Although not a horrible situation, he said more players would always be welcome.
“I’m hoping we can do something to boost interest for next year,” he said.
The team is planning to wrap up its season with a final practice and photo session on July 3 behind Westlock Elementary School.
