The Sunshine Coast Storm U12 Boys rep soccer team went to Burnaby on Oct. 8 for the annual Thanksgiving weekend tournament – which they won beautifully last year – and again fought hard in four games over two days.
Tough coastal weather and serious rain for game one against the Western Rush from Nanaimo added an extra challenge for the boys. It became clear early on that the Storm was going to be battling for this game as the Rush went toe to toe on almost everything.
Time and again the Storm tried to rally and pull the rabbit out of the hat but the Rush kept putting it back in with great counterattacks. The ball bounced all over the rubber turf – ball control was crucial on this artificial surface.
The final score was a fair 1-4 loss. The Storm played hard and with determination, but they would need to work on their passing and teamwork in order to survive.
Game two – under the lights and out of the torrential rain – the Storm was back. Like sharks ready to make up for lost time, our boys made quick work of the Wesburn Whitecaps, a local club that saw first-hand what happens when you throw chum in the water, a frenzy. The net was pounded hard by the Storm and the final score of 8-0 gave the boys a sweet memory to take back to the hotel and sleep on.
Day two looked like a fan’s dream, sunshine and blue skies were everywhere, smiles and anticipation of another turf field day. The North Vancouver Flames went up against the Storm first. Always a true contender, North Van can rattle the best of cages but this is a new Storm – a solid, organized team of bandits ready for anyone regardless of history or reputation.
As the genius coaching and verbal communication poured onto the field, everyone at the tournament looked towards their field simply because the style of play was sheer magic. No matter what was thrown at them, the Storm had an answer followed by a streamlined attack. It looked awesome no matter where you were sitting.
The final score of 4-1 was an understatement to say the least, but sometimes the score is only numbers, while seeing a game like this was glorious. Let’s just say the cross bar and posts were dented, mangled and still ringing from the assault.
Game four against another Burnaby team, the Wesburn Impact, gave the Storm a hard but essential lesson to learn: never let up in the home stretch when you’re ahead. Our coastal warriors charged hard and made use of all their skills, leading the game the entire way until the end of the second half when the Storm relaxed just a little and let in one goal leading to a tie 2-2 game, literally in the last five minutes, so close.
In the final standings the U12 boys made us all very proud. Fans from all over the tournament were asking, “Who are those kids?”
When people stop watching their own children to see a dynamic passing game and ball control that even the greats would envy, you know there’s a wonderful team evolving here. Let’s see where these boys can take this unity and determination.
