Prince Albert soccer plays hit the provincial scene

“That’s my expectation for them, that they take it as an honour to represent Prince Albert and certainly an honour for themselves to have worked hard enough to be recognized for their talents.”
It’s also a big opportunity for them.

The provincial teams go to a tournament for western Canada, and the most skilled players on the under-16 team will be invited to join a prairie team made up of players from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to go to an all-star competition.

Being on a provincial team can be a gateway to opportunity for players according to Maltman.

He said provincial teams can lead to club teams, all-star teams, scholarships and national opportunities.

He said he doesn’t want to put a lot of pressure on the players to perform.

“I don’t want to necessarily put pressures on these kids to feel that because they made a provincial team that now we expect way more from them than what we currently expect. I think that as long as they continue to enjoy themselves, as long as they continue to progress in their technical abilities… there’s still a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth and development in these athletes,” said Maltman.

Provincial teams are a big opportunity but they’re also a lot of work – weekends of training, camps, two-a-day practices and nutrition and exercise classes.

Julie Weinberger knows this first hand.

Julie has been on provincial teams before and is one of four Prince Albert girls selected for the under-16 provincial team this year.

“You have to be in really good shape so you can be fit to play, and I do lots of fundraising and stuff, and yeah, it’s a lot of work,” she said.

Joy Weinberger said she is very proud of her daughter, “she’s worked hard and dedicates a lot of her time and commitment to soccer.”

Julie said she is thrilled about being on the team, “I’m excited to play soccer at a higher level, so it’s more competition, and I’m excited to travel with my friends from other cities on the team.”

Julie, 15, has been playing soccer since she was seven and is a member of the Carlton girls’ soccer team as well as a Prince Albert Celtics team.

This is Julie’s last year being able to play on the provincial team.

The roster for the U-13 team will be finalized this weekend.

Ryan Earring has been selected for the under-14 team.

Practices start Apr. 16 and Julie said she’s looking forward to it.

lschick@panow.com

by Lisa Schick

Prince Albert soccer plays hit the provincial scene

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