Taber Soccer returns for 2022 season

TIMES FILE PHOTO

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times
cparkinson@tabertimes.com

Soccer players from the Taber area are preparing to head back to the pitch for the 2022 season that will see a return to a pre-COVID type schedule.

After two uncertain years due to COVID-19, the 2022 season is shaping up to follow a more traditional schedule with some welcome additions. And soccer players in the area are obviously excited at getting back out on the field as Taber and District Soccer Association is seeing plenty of kids signing up for 2022.

“Registration is looking pretty good. It’s a good bounce back from the COVID time of uncertainty. We have over 400 players registered, and it kind of shifts a bit, so we’ll probably have between 425 to 450 by the time the season starts,” explained Brett McCoy, president. “There are some kids who are pulling out for other sports and there are some trying to get in late. Teams, every age group is fairly healthy from U5 to U11. U5, U7, and U9 have anywhere between eight to 10 teams. U11 starts has five, U13, U15, and U17, U19 play in a Sunny South interleague, so we’ve joined with a number of other communities — Raymond, Magrath, Stirling, Coaldale, Cardston. There are more teams to play and not all of our communities have enough teams, so this allows for better games and better opponents. It’s just a better league and it’s our first year running that.”

While players were able to get out in various different scenarios in the last two years, it was a struggle to get many games in due to restrictions. So, with restrictions lifted across the province, the association is excited at the prospect of providing their players with an unaltered schedule this spring and into summer.

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