100 Mile House U15 Girls coach Harold Capnerhurst is a man of few words, but his girls listen to every word he says and put those words into action.
Harold says hosting the U15 B Cup Provincials is a good opportunity for the community, as there will be seven other girls and boys teams and their entourages here on July 7-10, which will help support 100 Mile House economically.
For the girls, it’s going to be a huge opportunity to see some high level of soccer being played, he adds.
“They’ve worked very hard and we’ll try our best to be very competitive in the tournament.
“It’s an awesome opportunity, as a lot of kids never get the chance to play the provincials, so it’s a privilege.”
As for team strengths, Harold says they’ve been pretty good defensively, but need to work on finishing off their plays and putting the ball in the back of the net.
“That’s been our focus during practice, and we’ll be working on positioning, finishing the plays and putting the balls in the net for the next couple of practices.
“We’re concentrating on offence now, but we need improvement in all areas.”
Noting the local teams have a really short season, Harold says some of the teams coming to 100 Mile House, such as Vancouver, have 30- to 40-game seasons.
In the last two years, he adds, the Cariboo Youth Soccer League (CYSL) has been formed, which allows teams from Quesnel, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House to compete against each other.
Previously, teams would have to attend out-of-town tourneys to gain any experience.
The local teams are at a bit of a disadvantage against the squads that play all year round or have long schedules, he adds, but having CYSL has been a tremendous asset.
“I’m very proud of the girls and what we’ve accomplished in the last two years regardless of how [the tourney] goes. They’re going to see a high level of competition and I think they’re going to rise to the occasion.”
Harold says he would like to see local residents come out and support the local teams and see the new fields at the soccer complex.
“We have some of the nicest fields in the Cariboo and this is a real honour to host this.”
