Fixing up Patullo Field is one of Prince Rupert’s Youth Soccer’s (PRYSA) main priorities that came out of its Nov. 13 annual general meeting (AGM).
The organization helped the Charles Hays field along to its currently healthy state, but would like to continue with other fields in the city and Patullo, beside the civic centre, is next on their list to tackle and fix up.
“We’re continuing to explore improving Patullo,” said PRYSA president Mike Cavin last weekend.
“We’re trying to do a field at a time.”
All executive board members will be returning to their positions in 2015; that’s Cavin as president, Leigh-Anne Magnusson as vice-president, Tristan Higginson as treasurer and Amy Rabel as secretary.
Coaching was another topic on the docket. Continuing on from 2014’s early-season coaching clinics, Cavin said the club will again host more sessions to help new and existing coaches learn the ropes and even take in some more advanced tactics or the older under-15 levels of teams.
“We were very happy with last season. We had 20 under-six and under-eight attend a clinic and then we had 12 under-10 and under-12 coaches attend another one so we were really pleased with that and we want to continue with the ongoing coaching education,” said Cavin.
“A great time to start [coaching] is when your child starts so in the under-six division, it’s a fun thing to do with them and then of course you can move through with your child [up the age divisions].”
The club hopes to utilize Charles Hays more on the weekends as a field option in the beginning of the season in the Spring time, since most teams are playing on gravel fields at that point.
Enrolment for the 2014 year included approximately 600 players, a figure that improved upon 2013, and Cavin said the association is financially healthy.
For the select teams, the president hopes to see some Prince George teams come west and meet some of Prince Rupert’s teams at a midway point, and he mentioned Smithers as an ideal location to get in some matches against tough opponents.
The club will also hope to return to Kamloops for the Slurpee Cup among other destination tournaments.
The PRYSA is always looking for coaches and volunteers and anyone looking to get involved can contact Cavin and the board of directors through PRYSA’s website at www.pryouthsoccer.com.
“We’re looking for a field scheduler and a referee scheduler as well,” said Cavin.