The Springbank Soccer Club is accepting aspiring athletes into their award-winning program as spring registration is now open.
Technical director for the Club, Nigel Brattle, said that although they may be a smaller club, Springbank's programming emphasized giving every athlete the chance to play and train.
“We welcome anybody, everybody, and we give them an opportunity to play, whether they’re new to the game or [if] they’ve been playing for a period of time,” Brattle said.
Brattle explained that, first and foremost, the soccer club prioritizes the holistic development of its players.
“Through a carefully designed curriculum and coaching philosophy, the club focuses not only on improving technical skills, but also on fostering teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship,” he said. “By instilling these values early on, children not only become better soccer players but also better individuals both on and off the field.”
The grassroots-oriented programming ranges from U4 to U10, with the soccer club even hosting U15 and U17 teams. As part of the Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMS), Brattle explained that the club is trying to build their program in a way that allows entry from the grassroots level into the standard CMS programming that runs from U10 to U19.
“We’re hoping to have a U10 boys’ team, U10 girls’ team, U11 boys’ and girls’ team, and a U12 boys’ and girls’ team,” he said. “But of course, we don’t know that for sure until registration is complete.
Very recently, Brattle said the Springbank Soccer Club received the Standards of Quality Soccer License by Canada Soccer on Mar. 6, which recognizes their club as a quality soccer provider.
“We’ve been working on it over the winter, and we just got awarded by Canada Soccer two days ago, so we’re really happy about that because that’s good for the club,” Brattle said.
Brattle added that through the training offered by the soccer club, it allowed athletes to develop their skills and compete at various competitive levels.
“In previous years we’ve had a player that was with Springbank that’s now playing for the Canadian Women’s National U15 Team,” Brattle said. “We also have players that have gotten scholarships. It’s a couple of guys who play at Red Deer College, and some university players as well.”
Brattle added that the Springbank Soccer Club has the best facilities in Calgary and surrounding areas. As part of Canada Soccer’s Standards of Quality Soccer Program, Brattle outlines that the soccer club now has a commitment to follow the guidelines set by Canada Soccer.
Through this national program, it ensures that the sport remains inclusive, provides a fun environment, and nurtures player development among other requirements outlined by Canada Soccer.
As a parent and former coach for the Springbank Soccer Club, Brattle said the most important aspect for their club is simply getting players on the field and allowing everyone the chance to play.
“Nobody’s going to get turned away,” he said. “For example, a lot of big clubs have tryouts. It happened to my son when he was playing all those years ago, he didn’t make one of the teams so now he didn’t have anywhere to play, and we had to go find another club for him.
“So, we’re open to welcome all players.”
Overall, Brattle said their end goal is to simply foster a love of soccer.
“Our goal is really to provide a program that generates, first of all, a love of the game, and then to develop the players' technical abilities with age-appropriate training,” Brattle said.
For anyone interested in learning more about the Springbank Soccer Club or how to register for their spring program, they may do so by visiting. www.springbanksoccer.com.
