Registration for Nanaimo United soccer programs is expected to be near 5000 players for 2023-2024 sessions. (Nanaimo United)

By Dan Marshall

Just for Kicks

Nanaimo United soccer programs generate heavy interest at the club and grassroots level

Feb 18, 2024 | 5:17 AM

NANAIMO — Spring soccer programs for kids are in registration mode for Nanaimo United while their top level teams are about to enter playoffs.

Club spokesperson Daragh Fitzgerald said interest in the sport has been rising over the last five years.

“We calculate from April to April and last year we had nearly 5000 registrations from youth to adults. It’s good to see there’s lots of kids and adults out playing soccer.”

Registration opened on Feb. 1 for the spring session which includes Happy Cleats for ages under four and under seven.

“The happy cleats program is a big one,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s already some waitlists for certain age groups. We have our skill centre league for under thirteens where players train twice a week with games on the weekend. We also have our game time program for under thirteens which is more casual one day a week soccer.”

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For players 14 and up and adults there will be a six aside league running on Friday nights.

Nanaimo United uses the two turf fields at Merle Logan, the Pleasant Valley Grass fields, Departure Bay and any other field space they can find.

Fitzgerald said at the happy cleats levels soccer is mainly about physical literacy and then there are two pathways for families once kids get to about eight years old.

“We’ve really made a conscious effort to have one program that’s a little more committed, training twice a week with games on the weekend. Then there’s another program that’s very flexible for families with kids that play hockey, or volleyball or baseball that they can still have a day of soccer each week. I would say that at every age we’ve got decent coverage and flexible programs for everybody.”

On the club side of United there are five men’s teams from U21 to over 35 and a premier women’s side and division one team.

The premier women’s squad is having the strongest season to date.

“The premier team is neck and neck with Gorge from Victoria at the top of the league, there’s only a point between them heading into the Terry Price Cup.”

Nanaimo visits the Saanich Fusion on Feb. 18 for their first cup game.

The men’s teams still have a few more weeks of regular season matches before their cup play starts.

Nanaimo United is growing on the competitive side with the addition of the BCSPL which is the top tier of youth soccer.

They kick off for the first time at the beginning of March.

It’s also season two for the men’s and women’s sides of Harbourside FC.

“The BC League 1 is going to be more professionalized. For us the wheels are in motion and we have ID camps coming up.” Fitzgerald said. “We want to keep focusing on that U23 age group from across the Island. It looks like we’ll open up on the April 27-28 weekend and the schedule should be out in a couple of weeks.”

For more information on all the programs offered by Nanaimo United go the club website.

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