The Prince Rupert Mens Soccer (PRMS) team aims to build from a strong 2023 season as the 2024 season creeps up.
The team has been shaking off the rust with high-intensity training twice a week since the beginning of March to ensure fitness levels are up to scratch for what are often physically gruelling summer tournaments.
The team’s first tournament of 2024 will be the Gitwangak Victoria Day Weekend tournament in Kitwanga, where they narrowly lost in the 2023 final.
The 2023 summer season was filled with triumphs, with the squad winning the home-field Seafest, Kitimat’s Every Child Matters and Terrace River Boat Days tournaments.
Midfielder and coach William Gye said last year’s success was built on regimented training sessions that focussed on fitness and passing.
“It was a successful year, but that all comes from training regularly and having structured training sessions,” the player-coach said.
Soccer is a global game, and Gye said the club prides itself on the cultural diversity and welcoming nature of the team.
“Our team is built from community members from all walks of life. We’re lucky to have people that have come to Prince Rupert and joined our team that are not originally from Prince Rupert. It adds a lot to our team, culturally and for community building,” Gye said.
“We make sure to create a safe, fun environment in the team by welcoming the guys. There’s lots of connections that are made in the community.”
During his time on the University of Victoria’s mens soccer team, Gye learned from some of the country’s most respected coaching staff, including Bruce Wilson, who was captain of the 1986 Canadian men’s team — the first Canadian squad to compete at a World Cup.
Gye said he brings inspiration from his former coaches to PRMS training sessions.
“We want to keep the sessions fresh, we want to keep the sessions at a high level and we want everyone to have lots of touches on the ball,” he said.
“What we’re building to is to be able to keep the ball so that we’re not defending the entire game and that we’re scoring goals.”
Gye also acknowledged Joe Paolinelli, a dedicated member of the Prince Rupert soccer community, who recently died.
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