To the delight of thousands of our members, soccer came back to life in 2021 after more than a year-long hiatus due to COVID-19.
The local district saw a return of more than 80% of pre-pandemic registrations for the 2021 outdoor season. The new normal saw our clubs and players experiencing COVID-19 restrictions and a shortened outdoor season. But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of our members, who were excited about the return to playing soccer. The combined efforts of our leagues, clubs, coaches, players, parents and match officials were the reason we were able to achieve such a successful return to the beautiful game. It is amazing what can be accomplished when many groups and people work together towards a common goal – in this case, the love of soccer and a desire to getting back on the field.
A significant moment for our District this summer was Canada’s Women’s National Team winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with two locally developed players playing key roles in Canada’s march to the top of the soccer world. Congratulations to Jessie Fleming and Shelina Zadorsky. Our District is proud of your accomplishments, and we look forward to having you lead our National Team’s efforts in the years to come.
As the 2021 outdoor season winds down and our indoor season approaches, EMSA is excited about what the future holds for soccer in our area. We look forward to the 2026 World Cup, where several of the games will be held in Canada. We are hopeful that some of our local players will play a key role in shaping Canada’s success at the tournament.
By John Laverty, EMSA President and photos from canadasoccer.com
