The associations growth over the years now requires us to utilize seventeen municipal and school playing fields in the Gordon Head area. We have built two new full size fields, an all weather practice field with lights at Tyndall Field, and a clubhouse one of the most beautiful soccer sites on Vancouver Island.
In 1978/79, the Gordon Head Girls Soccer League, started by Barb and Del Anderson, joined forces with the Gordon Head Soccer Association (BC Societies’ Act Registration # 21566). Since then amalgamation our boys and girls programs have continue to grow each year and have been very successful in achieving British Columbia, Island, District and League championships. Senior Mens and Ladies teams began soon after the establishment of the girls soccer league and in the last year has grown from three teams to six, with the addition of an over 30’s and over 40’s men’s teams as well as a Division 3 Ladies team.
Today, we place a great deal of emphasis and resources in the training and development of our youngest members, the mini players. Without the mini program our boys, girls, mens and womens teams would not have a future. This strategy has proven to be very successful as our mini program has increased by 20% in the last year. The success on the field at the boys and girls U12 and U13 levels can be directly attributed to the quality of over the last four to five years. In recent years, some of the players graduating from our mini program have been chosen to represent the province of British Columbia.
The Gordon Head Family. Our association has been lucky to have as ex members a number of very well known professional athletes including brothers Steve & Marty Nash. Marty is a professional soccer player and Steve is the highest Canadian ever drafted to play in the NBA. Their father, John Nash, coached his daughter Joann and teammates, to a League and BC Championship for girls at U17. The Nash family participation is typical of many families involvement in the development of soccer in Gordon Head.
The association has grown from the original team with fifteen players to sixty-two teams, over eight hundred players in the Youth Program, and six teams at the Senior Level.
The Gordon Head Soccer Association has had an exciting 40 years, with many teams and individuals making major contributions to its growth. Some of the builders of this club who should be mentioned include; Doug Day, David Begg, Fausto Milinazzo, Beth Barber, Jim Crawford and Len Huot.
Luckily, the association has additional dedicated members with a new vision which clearly indicates Gordon Head Soccer Association has a very bright future.
The best years are surely, yet to come!
