The Sunshine Coast Special Olympic soccer team played in a two-day tournament in Abbotsford on the May 24th weekend, coming back to the Coast with a bronze medal.
Special Olympics soccer is modified to five players per side, and is mixed gender and open age. The Sunshine Coast team consisted of players ages 14 to 48. Many of the players have been playing since they were children, but some are new to the game.
One player had never played until a month ago, but his natural ability to “read the play” contributed to the team’s overall success.
The weather on Sunday was wet, and the final match started with athletes who were soggy from top to toe. The discomfort was soon forgotten after Sunshine Coast popped in the first goal. The game was close until near the end, when the host team Abbotsford let in a couple of hard shots, earning Sunshine Coast the win.
The team is looking forward to competing at the tournament next year and going for gold.