Tournament experience sharpens elite players

Pinnacles FC’s elite soccer players are back on the pitch.

Pinnacles FC’s elite soccer players are back on the pitch.

Determined to keep improving, 275 kids are training hard and facing strong competition. Playing in tournaments is giving the players more experience and allowing them to improve their tactical skills.

At a tournament in Coquitlam, Ezra Cremers, executive director and head coach for Pinnacles FC, said their team was in every game.

“We’re finding the competition perfect for what we need,” said Cremers. “Where we struggle is depth. We have a good starting squad but we need more depth.”

Pinnacles FC sent a under-13, u-16 and u-18 boys and girls teams to a Coquitlam tournament.

Cremers said the Excelsior teams are competitive with coast teams that train eight months a year. In two to three years of continuing to develop with their current structure, including fall training and adding games, Pinnacles FC will help local players realize their dreams.

Cremers said a longterm goal is to add turf fields to play outdoors. Having that can reduce the break from soccer to six weeks from a few months.

In other news, Pinnacles FC is sending Xavier Araujo and James Fraser to Holland for training with their affiliate Excelsior Rotterdam FC.

“They have shown to Marco (van Lochem) that with a year of training, that they can really get to the next level,” said Cremers, who will be traveling to Holland at the end of this month for his own development. “I know Xavier’s goals is very university based.”

 

Penticton Western News