The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Improved Fields, Extra Season Being Discussed I would like to thank readers for the positive response to last weeks column. This week I would like to update you on some of the initiatives the Phantom Lake Soccer Club have for the upcoming season. The first one of course is to resume playing on the soccer field at Phantom Lake. The pitch was vandalized prior to the start of last season and a very difficult decision was then made not to play on it, due to risk of injury. We used Queens Park, adjacent to Hapnot Collegiate. This was not officially big enough-certainly not regulation-and some of the playing area was taken up with a disused ball diamond. The Phantom Lake Golf Club was contacted for their help, and the services of greenskeeper Brett Stephenson were used, and we now have a field in great shape for this year. The division four and five's will be using Phantom Lake field, with plans to expand the playing area during the summer. McIsaac School Ecole McIsaac soccer field is in need of rejuvenation. The plan is to move the division three games to Creekside Park this year, to allow for resodding. This will be a temporary move until McIsaac is in good shape again next year. Foster Park will be used for the division one and maybe two. The squirts will be at Centoba again. There are plans to possibly play a second season. This would involve playing until July-taking a month off and resuming in August for two months-until the Varsity program starts. During registration, survey were filled out, one of the questions being asked were if players were interested in extending the season. There has only been on reply against, but of course this would depend on volunteer help. If all goes well, the second season could possibly see the division three players using the revamped Creighton field instead of Creekside Park. Next time you are in Saskatoon, check out the new soccer complex in the north end of the city. This has to be one of the most impressive soccer facilities I have ever seen. With full size indoor fields, plus all weather outdoor fields, state of the art does not even begin to describe it. National Scene The Montreal Impact start their 2006 season in Miami, playing against the expansion Miami FC. This will be televised live on April 23rd. The Montreal Impact are scheduled to build a new stadium this year in preparation for the 2007 season, this stadium, together with the new $62.5 million dollar national soccer stadium being built in Toronto, will be one of the six Canadian stadiums used for the U20 World Cup being played in Canada in 2007. Tip Parents, don't forget that kids grow out of shin guards the same way that they grow out of everything else. Check their shin guards now to ensure a proper fit, not only do they have to be long enough, but also big enough to fit around the front of the shin. Shin guards are very inexpensive, yet if you have ever been kicked on the shin without wearing them, they're invaluable! Until next week Ð keep on kicking!
