40th year of Rosetown Lions Club soccer

By David McIver

This is the 40th year of Lions soccer and it’s is the year when there are the most players ever - 114 - according to Rosetown Lions Club members.

It began with Subhas Maharaj who tried to get a summer soccer program started in the early 1980s, stated Hugh Lees of the club in a press release.

However, it was difficult, when competing with other summer activities, to have enough children sign up to keep the program going, said Lees.

This year is the 40th year for Lions soccer in Rosetown and club members think the 114 students participating are the most ever. Posing by a goal last Tuesday were teams one and three of the grades 1-3 category prior to their game shown below. Photo by David McIver

So in 1986, Maharaj, Ted Brumwell and Myles Weisbrod, all Rosetown Lions Club members, decided to have the club sponsor and run a winter soccer program for students in grades 1-6.

The idea behind the program was to give an opportunity to children who weren’t involved in hockey and other organized activities, a chance to play a sport at an affordable price, said Lees.

Those three Lions ran the program for the first few years, doing it in Division III School in 1986-88, in the civic centre in 1988-2004 and in Walter Aseltine School since, he said.

Weisbrod created the scoreboard, which is still used today; Brumwell looked after trophies and medals; and Maharaj organized the teams and refereed the games.

For three or four years, the trio also held weekend tournaments for adults, with local teams and those from other communities.

Many former players have remarked on playing Lions soccer and how much they enjoyed playing, said Lees. In many cases, a second generation is playing, he added.

Bruce Smith took over leading the program in 2016 and held that position until 2025.

Often, Lions soccer was one of the first choice for some immigrant families, said Smith.

Some students went on to play high-end soccer, such as Ben Paquette in minor professional soccer, said Lees.

Alistair Smith, Kent Brown and Karl Hanna went on to win city championships in Saskatoon, he said.

One of the things Lees thought was great about Lions soccer was that it was co-ed right from the start, he said.

“Lots of girls turned out to be very good soccer players,” said Lees.

“The final tournament was one of the best days, even if you did smell like a hotdog at the end. There were always upsets and everyone went home with some kind of recognition,” he said.

The support and coaching from parents and grandparents are always very valuable, said Lees.

In this 40th year, registration to play costs $20, for which the money goes to pay referees, buy trophies and medal and hotdogs and drinks for the year-end tournament, although the Co-op supplies drinking boxes, he said.

Referees are all Rosetown Central High School students, said Lees.

The move to Walter Aseltine School “has been very good,” he said. School staff have given “great co-operation,” especially secretary Tina McGonigal who organizes the program.

They, referees, families and Lions have made Lions soccer “a 40-year success program in our community,” concluded Lees.