Flin Flon and Creighton’s soccer season will kick off this weekend.
A season-opening indoor soccer tournament will take place at the Creighton Sportex, opening up on May 26 and ending with a full slate of games on May 28. In total, 17 games are scheduled.
Just fewer than 70 kids are registered to play, forming eight teams. The teams take on a standard futsal format – five players and one goalie, with either two or three players on the bench ready to be changed in on short notice.
Players from ages 9 to14 will play, with teams split up into two divisions based on age.
The tournaments began as a way to get players ready for the season while playing fields were covered in snow or water.
Channa Senyk, tournament organizer and recreation director for the Town of Creighton said registration in the event is down, but there’s a good reason why.
“There haven’t been any indoor soccer tournaments for two years, so our numbers are down from two years ago,” said Senyk.
It will be the first time an indoor soccer tournament will be held exclusively in the Sportex. In the past, other venues, usually the Whitney Forum, were used.
The Sportex site will require minimal preparation for the site.
“We just need to make a new centre line and goalie creases. Our goalie creases aren’t in permanently. We’re going to have to make a bit of a field,” said Senyk.
While the soccer tournament will start the outdoor soccer season, it also begins a busy summer season at the Sportex site. The building will play host to indoor minor ball and a floor hockey league as summer nears.
Depending on how the tournament goes, Senyk said the town may be open to holding other tournaments or events.
“We would look at it again. We’ll see how it goes,” she said.
