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Goodsoil badminton teams bring home gold, silver
By Jennifer Nichols
Progress Staff
Sunday May 11, 2008
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Lindsey Schamber and Owen Hill of Goodsoil were gold medal winners at regional badminton playoffs in Saskatoon last weekend. Shown, the team competes in divisions at Carpenter High School on April 26.
Progress file photo
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The Goodsoil Central School badminton teams have been taking down their competition all season and they didn’t stop at regionals.
The boys doubles, singles and mixed doubles teams were in Saskatoon at Walter Murray Collegiate on May 3.
The mixed doubles team, Owen Hill and Lindsay Schamber won the gold, while Jonathan Sonntag took home the silver medal for boys singles. They have all continued on to provincials in Foam Lake this weekend.
The boys doubles team, Curtis Zerr and Matthew Stremick came home empty handed.
Their coach Carol Dionne said her teams have worked hard to get to that point.
“They are very athletic individuals,” she said.
“They all play a lot of different sports on their own. They really enjoy playing badminton and they practice all the time.”
During regionals, Hill and Schamber swept the competition. They first played Leoville, and won two matches, 21-10 and 21-19. In their second game against Osler V.C.A. they won 21-8 and 21-7. They then beat Saskatoon Graham 21-10 and 21-9.
In the semi-final, they won against Wilkie 21-14 and 21-19. Against Saskatoon Mahoney they won their matches 21-14 and 21-15 to take the gold.
Sonntag started off just as strong, beating Pelican Lake in his first game 21-16 and 21-12.
It took three games for him to beat Langham, winning two matches 21-19 and losing one 17-21. He was back in his game for his third matchup against Saskatoon Hardy, winning 21-10 and 21-18.
In the semi-fnal game, Sonntag beat Medstead 21-14 and 21-17 but lost to the home team 21-10 and 21-8 in the final.
Dionne said all three players have always done well in badminton and this is not their first time at regionals.
“They have all been to provincials before,” she said.
“Owen and Lindsay won the bronze two years ago when they were in grade 10 and Jonathan went to provincials last year. Now they will all be playing together this year.”
She added that in her second year coaching them, she sees a lot of potential.
“They have all done well since juniors,” she said.
“Owen and Lindsay work well together as a team. They have good strategy and read each other well. Jonathan is fast and smart when it comes to playing the game.”
Youth soccer embraces high numbers
By Jennifer Nichols
Progress Staff
Sunday May 11, 2008
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Shown,soccer players practice their kicks on Wednesday, May 7. soccer this season in Meadow Lake. More photos are posted in the Pictures in Progress section.
Photo by Jennifer Nichols
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With the wacky weather Meadow Lake had been having, the start of soccer season was threatened. Luckily, the snow melted and the season ended up starting earlier than usual.
According to soccer president and coach Leslie Rolfe, the soccer balls were flying a week early this year.
“It turned out to be dry enough,” she said.
“We got in an extra week of full practices.”
Rolfe said this year’s numbers are about 45 per cent up from last year, with just under 600 players registered. She said it could be because kids are seeing more of the game on television than before.
“I think the popularity of soccer is growing,” she said.
“It has just been televised more in the last year and they are all more excited about it.”
In addition to having a lot of players, there are plenty of coaches and volunteers helping out as well.
“We filled all of our volunteer and coaching positions at our AGM,” said Rolfe.
“We have a lot of parents who pitch in and people from the community.”
The teams are split up by age group, with two teams of four years old and six, eight, 10, 12, and 14 and under teams, with 16 to 18 year olds combined.
This year’s soccer season goes until the middle of June, when Rolfe said there will be a week of playoffs for the younger kids and a tournament weekend for the older players. She added that with interest in the sport growing, she is hoping it will entice parents to continue to be involved.
“We are trying to get parents to stay involved even when their kids get older,” she said.
“This year we are getting more commitment from the coaches because there is practice every week. Last year there were two games per week and it was hard to get them to commit another day.”
With more practices, Rolfe said the players are learning more as well.
“We keep everything defined by age,” she explained.
“With the younger kids they are pretty much just running around with the balls, and the older kids are learning skills.”
Carol Mitchell, coordinator for mini-soccer (six, eight and 10 and under) and coach of an eight and under team said her job is both challenging and fun.
“It has allowed me to meet a lot of people,” she said.
“It takes a lot of organization. I have 24 teams, which is the most I’ve ever done.”
She said soccer is good for kids because it not just about competition.
“Coaches are teaching them skills not just playing games,” she explained.
“They love it. I think a lot of them have more fun in practices because they get more ball time.”
Mitchell said another positive aspect of the game is how it affects junior high and high school students.
“We have some who help coach, so they are learning the skills and playing at the same time,” she said.
“They are very dedicated to the sport.”
Rolfe said if soccer continues to progress like it has been, there is the future possibility of making a provincial team.
“We have been contacted by the Sask Soccer Association to enter a team for the Sask Summer Games,” she said.
“If we can keep the kids interested maybe we can have a provincial team.”
She is also looking forward to the new multi-use facility and its proposed indoor soccer pitches.
“I would be so excited to have that,” she said.
“Right now we have to try and cram ref and coaching clinics into the few weeks before the season starts, but we could do it all year round.”
For now, the kids and adults will continue to enjoy summer soccer. And Mitchell said this year, the organizers are hoping to hold a ceremony at the end of the season for players as well as volunteers.
“It’s important to recognize them,” she said of the many volunteers.
“Without them we wouldn’t have an association.”
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