U10 Coaldale Thunder FC win bronze at Anthem Cup tournament

Sunny South News Photo Submitted. MEDALISTS: Coaldale’s newest soccer team, the U10 Thunder FC proudly show off their bronze medals with head coach Samantha McDonald, left, and assistant coach Matthew McDonald, right, following their bronze medal victory at the Anthem Cup in Okotoks Jan. 18-19.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Coaldale’s newest soccer team, the U10 Thunder FC, are succeeding in their first season and recently came home with a bronze medal from the Anthem Cup Jan. 18-19, in Okotoks. 

The team faced a tough schedule against some seasoned players from Calgary and Lethbridge that weekend, winning three out of four round robin games and earning a spot in the bronze medal match-up.  

“Once they realized they could compete, the boys did so well and they played phenomenally the rest of the tournament,” said head coach Samantha McDonald. “The first game they were shy and unsure and they just got stronger and stronger as the tournament went on.”  

The U10 Coaldale Thunder FC plays indoors at the new Shift Rec Center and is part of the Thunder FC Soccer Club that began last year with U15 and U17 indoor teams. 

“Our boys really do play as a team and they’re a force to be reckoned with because they’re so strong with their relationships with each other,” said McDonald. “These boys all come from different schools, different backgrounds and they really support each other… I think that just really makes our team so special.”    

The U10 team is comprised of 14 boys ages eight and nine, from town and across the region including Coaldale, Stirling, and Taber. The indoor season runs from October to March and they are looking to run an outdoor league this summer as well from late April to August. 

The team practices three times a week with exhibition games held every week, which helps prepare players for weekend tournaments. 

“We had this Okotoks tournament (in January) and we have another tournament coming up in Calgary for the Family Day long weekend in February,” said McDonald. 

McDonald, who has volunteer coached in a house league in Lethbridge and participated in last year’s southern Alberta Summer Games in Coaldale, said the club decided to form a team this year with younger players after so much interest among players and a large turnout for the SASG tryouts.

With Lethbridge leagues at limited capacity and Coaldale’s new recreation centre that has an indoor field, McDonald approached Coaldale Thunder FC manager Justin Myer about the possibility of forming another team. While the U10 is the league’s newest division, it may not be their last.   

“We’re hoping to bring more coaches in and open up more age groups as well,” said McDonald. “We just want this to be the start of something really great for Coaldale and for the athletes around and even for the sunny south area.” 

For more information on the Coaldale Thunder FC visit http://www.registerforsoccer.ca