Looking for a reason to brag about Bonnyville?
Look no further than the local soccer program and the amazing seasons the teams had.
Bonnyville's soccer clubs dominated this year, with five teams competing for provincial titles this past weekend and four of those teams taking home medals, including the U12 Blitz and U16 girls teams being crowned provincial champions.
The U16 girls remarkably went the entire season without a loss.
Following not far behind the heels of their female counterparts, the U12 boys lost only one game all season and took home bronze at provincials. The U14 boys also performed exceptionally well and took home bronze.
Of the nine local teams with the possibility of advancing to provincials this season, five qualified by winning a Lakeland Cup last month.
The list of provincial representatives included the Bonnyville Blitz U12 girls, the Bonnyville Jets U12 boys, the U14 boys team, the U16 girls team and the U18 boys team, who finished a respectable fifth place at provincials.
Even the teams unable to qualify for provincials did not disappoint, picking up medals in the competitive Lakeland soccer league.
This type of success is outstanding.
Bonnyville clubs dominated an entire league from U12 to U18 this season and showed their skill at the provincial level as well.
Players clearly play a huge role in the success of a team. But covering the local clubs over the past season, I have come to see the value a good coach brings to a team.
The players deserve plenty of credit for their achievements, but when it comes to getting those players to play together as a team, the coach is almost always the unsung hero.
For the most part, local coaches have shown the ability to balance competitiveness with fun – a combination that has clearly led to success on the field, while adding to good relations off it.
Congratulations to all Bonnyville soccer clubs for an exciting and successful season and for giving us one more thing to brag about when talking soccer with someone from Cold Lake or St. Paul.
