Coach Carli Tingstad would normally be challenging her soccer players to improve their dribbling skills, be more aggressive and play stronger defensively.
But, because of COVID-19, which has prevented the team from practising, meeting or playing together, Tingstad – head coach of the Okanagan-based Thompson Okanagan Football Club (TOFC) U14 girl’s team – has had to come up with different ways to challenge her charges.
“I’ve created a four-week home program and I send them weekly challenges,” said Tingstad, from Kelowna, whose players come from Kamloops to Penticton. Ava Cesario is the only Vernon-based player on the squad.
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Last week, Tingstad offered up the challenge of coming up with an act of kindness.
The players, through texting, cellphones and social media, decided to pay homage to Thompson Okanagan health-care workers, thanking them for their work during the pandemic.
The 16 players posed for individual photos with the hand-written message: “Dear health workers: Thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate it and don’t know what we’d do without you.”
“They co-ordinated who would have what words, then they wrote out the message and took a photo of them with their words,” said Tingstad. “The photos were sent to one individual who put it into a collage.”
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