What are the costs of participating in Lakeview’s Community Soccer program?
The Lakeview Community Association (“LCA”) Board sets the individual fees for the program every year. A once-per-household LCA family membership is required for all players. For 2025, this is $30 per family and that amount includes the GST. The membership fee covers all participants from that family.
The fee per player for 2025 is $70 plus GST. The Under 4 fee is $35 per player plus GST
I have fully paid for the registration but I have now found out that my child is unable to participate. Can I get a refund?
As long as the season has not started, the registration fee is fully refundable. The Lakeview Community Association membership fee is non-refundable.
What if I think I have already bought my Community Association membership?
LCA’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 each year. The LCA membership fee, which is payable on registration for soccer, applies to the one-year period immediately following the end of our soccer season. On this basis and at registration, very few families actually have LCA memberships that apply to the upcoming fiscal year. This approach ensures you get a full 12-month benefit for your LCA membership.
Are there subsidy programs for children of families experiencing financial challenges?
Yes. LCA’s No-One Left Behind (“NOLB”) initiative provides an avenue for children in Lakeview to fully participate in community soccer regardless of their family’s financial situation. Just contact the LCA office for further information about NOLB.
Can I register for soccer even if our family doesn’t live in Lakeview? We live outside of the community but our kids have friends that live in Lakeview and we have heard good things about the soccer program.
An LCA membership is required at registration but, by all means, the more the merrier!
What does my registration fee cover?
Each participant has traditionally received a shirt, a team photograph, a medal plus season-ending treats. The fields have to be booked and paid for. There is an annual fee payable to our service provider for our registration, rostering, scheduling and communications platform. Our equipment inventory includes nets, bags, pylons, air pumps, first-aid kits plus, of course, balls. Every year, we have to repair and/or replenish.
My child is a very good soccer player and I think that they would be better off being challenged in an older age group. How rigid are you in placing kids in their prescribed age group?
Pretty rigid, frankly. This has to be a simple, one-size-fits-all community-based program run by volunteers with a heavy emphasis on the social aspect. In community-based soccer, most parents want their kids playing with friends from the same age group. Volunteers in our program don’t have the expertise nor the time to evaluate and make age-group placement decisions on specific children. Our friends at the Chinooks FC offer more competitive and prescriptive programs and we recommend that route if you believe your child would be better served by a more focused, competitive and skill development approach.
My kid wants to play more than spring soccer in Lakeview. What are the options?
Again, we have developed a great working relationship with Chinooks FC and we suggest checking them out first. They offer year-round programing; league play and skill development training. The Chinooks have traditionally focused on presenting soccer programs in the SW quadrant of the City.
What will my child need to be ready for the soccer season and on soccer night?
We recommend shin pads for all age groups. A good pair of closed-toed running shoes for the Under 4s and Under 6s and even the Under 8s is really all that is required. The older kids will be better off with proper soccer shoes. Also, try to have your kids come with an empty bladder – the school and/or community centre washrooms are not available.
My child is part of a group of friends and they all want to play on the same team. Can that be accommodated?
In the age groups where players are assigned to teams, the rostering process is often complicated, very time consuming and has to be done almost manually. Every team has to have a coach and the coach will almost always want their child assigned to that same team. Obviously, teams have to be rostered with an equitable age and gender distribution. After those requirements are satisfied, we can then look at friend requests. Experience has shown that it is almost impossible to fully accommodate multiple friend requests.
To keep it fair for everyone, our registration process allows for one friend request per registrant which we can generally accommodate. To minimize the risk of errors and misinterpretations, try to make sure you give us full, consistent and accurate information about the friend being requested and ensure that the friend is registered in the same age group. Succinctly, asking to be placed on a team with "Noah or
Being in a team with a few kids you don’t know provides the opportunity to make new friends!
Do I have to volunteer for something as I make the registration?
The program is organized primarily through volunteer efforts with the on-field coaching being the key role in the success of the program. More information on that is provided below.
Beyond the on-field stuff, there is much work that goes on before, during and after the season. Our volunteer team sets up our registration, rostering, scheduling and communications platform. We have folks who sort and distribute all of our equipment inventory – balls, shirts, nets, air pumps, kit bags, first-aid kits, pylons. Every year the kids get medals, photos and a year-end treat. Some of our age groups have coordinators who oversee on-field activities to ensure the kids and coaches are enjoying themselves. We welcome other volunteers to our team who share our love for our community and the occasional “brainstorming session” at Bella Roma!! If you want to help us out, let us know. The more the merrier.
However, no-one should feel obligated to volunteer. Being a positive and enthusiastic parent is the best way to participate.
I am thinking I might volunteer to coach but I am a little scared. Do I need any experience?
Other than in Lakeview, very few of our volunteer coaches have coached youth soccer before. Some have coached youth sports. Many have played sports at some level. However, the common thread with all of our successful coaches is the enthusiasm and positivity that they bring. It is contagious. Some teams may have more than one coach so you might not be alone. Parents will almost always pitch in if they see you need a little help. Coaching your kid’s soccer team makes you a hero as a parent and a member of our community. It is invariably a rewarding experience and a memory that lasts a lifetime. Put yourself out there. Great fun!
What is the time commitment expectation for volunteer coaches?
Primarily the commitment is to be on the field when the kids are. If you are unable to attend a session, you should arrange for a substitute. To give themselves a head-start, most coaches report that they spend 15 minutes prior to a session planning their drills for the evening. Coaches are the lead conduit for parent communication. They also look after the equipment (unless another parent takes on that job).
What resources will I be provided with if I coach?
We provide a pre-season coaches clinic. This is a 2-hour indoor session where we bring in professional coaches to demonstrate drill suggestions and help to give you a base of self-confidence. We also provide a manual that provides a framework for organizing the on-field drills. Lakeview soccer has an app so that coaches can use their phones to communicate with parents about cancellations and other matters that might crop up.
What is expected of the parents?
This is first, foremost and always a community-based initiative. The name of the game is fun, participation, camaraderie and enjoyment for our kids, friends and neighbors in Lakeview. There are no league standings and no official scoring in any of the mini-games. Most kids have forgotten about the game 10 minutes after the session but, if they ask for feedback, “We sure enjoyed watching you play” is a good response. Keep it light with lots of encouragement.
At the younger age groups, all participants should have a specifically designated adult who is responsible for them during the session plus getting them to and from the field.
As you are leaving the playing fields after a session, take a quick look around. Pick up any garbage or equipment that may be lying around. Also, very occasionally a kid’s ride might be 5 minutes late. It is nice to stay with them until the ride arrives……
My younger child appears bored and seems to lose concentration easily on game night. Is there anything I can try?
It is possible that a younger child may feel stressed if they don’t think they are at the same development level as her/his teammates. This nervousness can manifest itself in physical withdrawal from the activity, the session or the entire program. A good strategy is for parents to take some time with their child between sessions and run some drills one-on-one. Some kids need to know that they can perform a drill adequately before they participate in public with their peers. Try to get the coach to run a drill to incorporate that skill and the kids can “show-off” to her/his friends. Lots of encouragement from the parents and the coach as that process evolves.
How are game day cancellations made and communicated?
We make the coaches the decision makers for cancellations. The weather is the main reason but also the AQI can be a factor plus, sometimes, the fields can be snow covered or waterlogged. We generally find that the kids are keener to get out and play versus the parents who are less than ecstatic about the thrill of May horizontal sleet as they huddle on the sidelines!! The general guideline – assume a session is going ahead unless you hear otherwise directly from the coach. The safety of the kids is always the main factor.
The LCA soccer program is a great brand with a solid local reputation. Are there sponsorship opportunities?
We are fortunate and grateful that Ron Garneau at Re/Max has continued his support of our program over the years by fully funding the team shirts. The Lakeview IGA and CopyWorks Communications are now onboard as sponsors and we are so grateful to all of them. If you are interested in partnering with the program somehow, let us know. We are open to suggestions.
What is the best way to contact you with other comments and suggestions?
We have a dedicated Lakeview soccer e-mail address – soccer@lakeviewyyc.ca. We monitor this address on an almost daily basis from about early February to the end of June. Suggestions for improvements are always welcome. Folks who are willing to help provide those improvements are even more welcome!!