By Steve Hubrecht
A free indoor soccer jamboree will kick off later this month.
It is open to any kids or teens under age 14, and is guaranteed to be energetic and fast paced.
“It will be a lot of fun,” Columbia Valley Football Club (CVFC) technical director Tom Smith told the Pioneer.
The CVFC (also known as the Columbia Valley Youth Soccer Association) will host the jamboree at David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) on Saturday, Feb. 28, but participants do not need to be registered with the club to play in the jamboree.
“It’s a community engagement event,” said Smith.
It caters not only to those who already know and love soccer, but also those who are curious about it and may want to consider joining a youth rep team in the future, but aren’t yet certain.
“If you are thinking about it (soccer), this is a chance to try it,” explained Smith.
The jamboree will be divided into three age categories — under age 10 and below (U10), U12 and U14. Kids and teens will be mixed into teams of roughly equal ability, and then play a full day’s worth of games, each 15 minutes long.
“We want them to get as much game time as possible,” said Smith.
The club has also set dates — Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 — for the annual Clash of the Titans soccer tournament in Invermere and Windermere, which draws more than 1,500 young soccer players on 70 youth soccer teams from across B.C. and Alberta.
Smith, who is originally from Manchester in the United Kingdom and worked with famed soccer club Manchester United’s youth academies, said the CVFC has been growing in recent years.
Last year the CVFC had 160 members, and when Smith spoke with the Pioneer last week, the club already had 120 registered for this year (even with almost a month of registration time still left to go).
Some of the club’s teams are turning in impressive results too, including the U18 girls team, which made the provincial finals in 2025.
The club is currently running indoor training sessions at the Columbia Lake Recreation Centre near Windermere, and will start up its outdoor programs after spring break.
“Soccer is such an accessible sport. All you need is a ball and a bit of space … but for such a simple sport, you can get so much joy out of it,” said Smith.
The club attempts not only to develop soccer skills, but also to foster leadership, resilience, confidence and other interpersonal skills, explained Smith. “Our aim as a club is to get kids interested in the sport for a lifetime. My coaching philosophy has four points: include; inspire; develop and compete. That means include everyone; inspire young athletes to want to play; develop players’ physical and interpersonal skills; and then go and compete.”
The free soccer jamboree at DTSS runs from 9 a.m to 6 p.m.
Those wanting to take part in the jamboree need to sign up by February 23. Visit forms.gle/aNZwiQptzzzPWdim6 to sign up.