Summer soccer sessions are set to begin the week of June 16 for Nanaimo United. Skill development and fostering a love for the game are at the heart of these U-6 to U-18 programs. (Nanaimo United)

By Dan Marshall

Boots on the Ground

Nanaimo United transitioning into summer soccer programs

Jun 16, 2025 | 9:53 AM

NANAIMO — Spring soccer programming for Nanaimo United has wrapped up and summer sessions are now ramping up.

For U-8 to U-18 athletes academy and five-a-side play is set to begin Tuesday, June 17, while the other main summer offering is summer camps which run from July 7 to Aug. 15 for kids U-6 to U-11.

United technical lead Daragh Fitzgerald said the academy and five-a-side schedule is once a week while the summer camps run Monday to Friday.

“The academy is definitely a little bit more traditional training, a little bit more of a mix of skill development and we do a lot of constrained space games as well, which is a lot of game play. It’ll have certain conditions that bring out different skills that we’re looking for in players. Whereas in the five-a-side, is a lot more just game play.”

Although five-a-side is a unique style of soccer Fitzgerald said it has some tangible benefits for young players.

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He said a lot of the activities are able to be transferred directly back to the full-pitch game.

“You get about 800 percent more actions in a five-a-side game than you do in a regular 11-a-side game, so that alone is huge for kids. You’re developing tons and tons of decision making, transition skills, they’re touching the ball way more.”

The top U-14 to U-18 United athletes play in the BCSPL.

Some of those players were able to compete in the A Cup Island playoffs with at least one United team advancing to provincials in Kamloops in July.

The highest level of competition for Nanaimo United is the League 1 men’s and women’s squads.

Formerly known as Harbourside FC the league one teams are currently in the middle of their season.

On Saturday, June 14, the men drew 2-2 with Burnaby FC while the women lost 5-3.

Fitzgerald said the aim of League 1 is to develop players for the pro level.

“We want to put the most competitive teams forward but we also want to make sure that we’re developing local talent here as well. Whether that’s from Nanaimo, Victoria, Comox, we want it to be something that Island-based players can come into.”

Fitzgerald said they’re hoping a handful of BCSPL players will be able to transition into the League1 team over the next few years.

More information about Nanaimo United programs and teams is available on the club website.

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