Photo by Morris Prokop
ADDRESSING THE TROOPS 鈥 Head Coach Sean Fleming instructs his Canada Summer Games boys team during halftime of their game against the Yukon Selects.
Photo by Morris Prokop
ADDRESSING THE TROOPS 鈥 Head Coach Sean Fleming instructs his Canada Summer Games boys team during halftime of their game against the Yukon Selects.
Photo by Morris Prokop
USING HIS HEAD 鈥 Kaelen Lewis of the Yukon Canada Summer Games Team heads the ball while Cody Adams looks on.
Photo by Morris Prokop
STELLAR SAVE 鈥 Canada Games Team goalkeeper Callum Weir makes a great save in the dying minutes of the game.
Photo by Morris Prokop
PAINFUL PUNT 鈥 Yukon Selects鈥 Skyler Bryant kicks the ball towards Zach Saplywy. The Canada Games Team prevailed in the tight contest despite a late push from the Selects.
The Canada Summer Games boy鈥檚 team downed the Yukon Selects men鈥檚 team 1- 0 in a tight match that went down to the wire Thursday night at the F.H. Collins soccer turf in Whitehorse.
The Canada Summer Games boy鈥檚 team downed the Yukon Selects men鈥檚 team 1- 0 in a tight match that went down to the wire Thursday night at the F.H. Collins soccer turf in Whitehorse.
The game was part of a camp for the Canada Games boy鈥檚 team that started Jul. 17 and went until this past Sunday.
The team consists of U19 boys.
Ben Kishchuk scored the game鈥檚 lone goal on a penalty kick.
Canada Games boy鈥檚 goalkeeper Callum Weir was forced to make multiple saves in the dying minutes of the game.
Weir thought the game was pretty good.
鈥淪tarted a bit weak but we worked into it so we just got to keep going ... good preparation here in this camp and we鈥檒l put our team together and work for Canada Summer Games and 鈥 it鈥檚 a couple weeks away, but coming along nicely and we鈥檙e looking to make history again here, so it鈥檒l be a fun one, for sure.鈥
Weir admitted it was kind of tense at the end of the game as the Selects pressed for the equalizer.
鈥淎 little bit, yeah. It鈥檚 fun. I grew up with the other goalkeeper, so it鈥檚 always good fun and games and I鈥檝e known some of the boys for a while so it鈥檚 a lot of fun.
鈥淔ull trust in the boys. A little bit of hassling with the ref ... but it works and (we鈥檒l) take the three points.鈥
After Thursday鈥檚 game, Canada Summer Games boy鈥檚 team鈥檚 Head Coach Sean Fleming thought the game was 鈥渧ery good.鈥
鈥淭he men, I give all credit to. They really come out and they play so hard and they make it difficult for the boys and it鈥檚 not easy and I really appreciate the commitment they鈥檝e given us. Not just tonight but throughout the whole outdoor season. They come out committed and playing with them has really helped the boys prepare for the Games.鈥
Fleming said the camp has been 鈥渞eally good. We started last Sunday. The boys and the leadership group have really taken it upon themselves to make sure they have the right attitudes and everything. We鈥檝e been training three times this week at 6 a.m. Everybody鈥檚 been here on time and the training鈥檚 just been fantastic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tiring week but we鈥檙e really smart how we鈥檙e doing it because of course we want to be peaking in a few weeks, not now, so we鈥檝e got to be careful but the boys鈥 attitudes have been great, training鈥檚 been great and again, these two games against the men have been really good for us. They give us different looks and things to look at, so it鈥檚 been really good.鈥
Fleming added 鈥淚 just think this is a real credit to a lot of the coaches here. I feel honoured and privileged to be given the opportunity to work with the players but there鈥檚 people like Jake Hanson, Ash Jordan, Victor Lavendaros 鈥 a lot of these coaches have worked with these players for many years and the kids have done a few trips 鈥 I鈥檝e travelled with them and I鈥檝e travelled with a lot of teams and these kids deserve a lot of credit. They represent themselves, they represent the territory well and it鈥檚 really been a pleasure to be part of this process.鈥
Fleming also gave his take on how the team is looking leading up to the Games.
鈥淵ou never know when you come to these types of things 鈥 the tournaments 鈥 but what I鈥檝e asked the players to do is make sure they leave everything that they鈥檝e done, that they can do in the preparation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all the little things off the field that they have to do. Their lifestyle, nutrition and all that but also it鈥檚 just 鈥 the training, the attitudes and everything have been fantastic so up to this point, in honesty, they鈥檝e been doing everything they can to be as prepared as well as they can so when we do these types of tournaments, these Games, it鈥檚 really about their performance.
鈥淎nd I certainly hope that they show themselves, because they do have a chance to have great performances and hopefully the results will follow but of course in football, in sports, sometimes you get the right way and sometimes you don鈥檛 but truly, I hope for the boys that they really come out and perform just a lot like they have this week and they鈥檒l represent themselves well.鈥
The two teams tussled again Saturday, with the boys team winning 4-0.
According to Fleming, who lives in Edmonton, the next few weeks will consist of final preps for the team leading up to the Niagara 2022 Games, which begin Aug. 6.
鈥淭he coaches, Ash Jordan, Jake Hanson and Sean Macdonald, will work with them after I leave on Sunday ... so we鈥檒l do some team stuff that way too in-between but it will just be fine-tuning and a little bit of tweaking. That鈥檚 what we鈥檒l do.鈥
In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.
Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.
Be the first to comment