The 2016 season marks the 33rd year that the East London Soccer Club (ELSC) has been providing quality recreational soccer. And the league is even bigger and better this year!
The ELSC features 132 teams this summer season (May to late August). Players range from 2 years old (in the U4 division) to over 50 years young in the Adult Men’s and Women’s divisions. In all, there are more than 1,900 players and more than 220 coaches and assistant coaches signed up this year. Including board members and team managers, there are more than 250 volunteers helping run the league.
The ELSC has grown substantially over the past five years. The league ensures that every player has the opportunity to play at a level appropriate to his/her age.
This year, the ELSC worked with the City of London to build a new field at the club’s St. Julien Park location. Weather didn’t cooperate in the spring, but the new field will hopefully be ready for use by early July. The new pitch will help ELSC accommodate its growing Under 8 and Under 10 Boys and Girls Divisions.
Each year, ELSC provides free coaching clinics to its new and experienced coaches, and also provides on-field assistance to interested new coaches. A number of young adults who have played in the league for years are now giving back by volunteering as coaches, assistant coaches, and even board members. They have great enthusiasm and a true spirit of volunteerism.
Along with free referee clinics, ELSC’s senior referees also provide continuous ‘on-field’ mentoring for the club’s younger referees and assistant referees. For 2016, the league expanded its assistant referee training by incorporating ‘Linesmen’ in the U10 Division.
Whether by offering an U4 program, expanding to include Adult divisions, building new fields and adding irrigation, or developing online registration, the ELSC has continued to expand to meet the needs of the community. And the community has responded with increased registration year after year! ELSC would not exist without the hundreds of volunteers and families who support the club. A huge ‘THANK YOU’ also goes out to all of the East London businesses and organizations who sponsor ELSC teams!
Story by SportsXpress Team, contributions by Carolyn Kirk
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