VOL. 67 NO. 26
The Paper That ’s Going Places!
Veg Minor Soccer finishes with strong British flavour
British soccer Coach Jack Sarahs, who hails from Swindon (south of London) has been playing the sport since he was 5. Sent over through Challenger Sports, Sarahs worked with 20 Vegreville teams from various age groups, taught coaching clinics and taught soccer to school students in gym class in June at both St. Martin’s and AL Horton schools.With his many hours overseas coaching, teaching and volunteering, Sarahs is well on his way to being an accredited professional Soccer Coach, which, in his wildest dreams, sees him coaching major clubs anywhere in the world. (Michael Simpson/Photo)
Michael Simpson Editor June 24 marked the windy windup for minor soccer in Vegreville. A sport with a short season, starting in early May and running until late June, there are still hundreds of kids each year who play the sport in Vegreville, with dozens breaking off to join an indoor soccer team which plays out of Sherwood Park over the fall and winter months. Throughout the month of June, the VMS made good use of British soccer coach Jack Sarahs, who flew in with Challenger Sports to teach the kids the finer points of the game at practices. Sarahs was also busy during the day teaching soccer at local elementary schools in Vegreville as kids in grades K-6 studied soccer (football to Jack) in their gym classes. After hours, Sarahs also provided coaching clinics for the volunteer coaches who will lead teams for years to come. The Brit said he’s loved every minute of his packed schedule in town since his arrival. “I’ve loved every minute here in Vegreville; the people are truly really nice and I would always consider this my Canadian home,” Sarahs said. “More specifically, [I’m grateful to] the soccer association [who] have been so great to me for helping me with abso-
MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014
lutely anything from lifts to places to Boston pizza cards I honestly couldn’t have asked anymore from them they and the people here in general have been amazing and I wish my town back home could take some of the class shown here.” Sarahs said when he arrived, he got right to work with the local teams in hopes of seeing them earn some hardware by the end of the season. In the end, the teams didn’t place in the medal rounds, and Sarahs said it was a tough break as he
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