2017 Coach of the Year Grant Shilling
SPONSORED BY CANADIAN TIRE
Grant Shilling singlehandedly started a street soccer program in the Comox Valley.
An initiative of the Dawn to Dawn Action on Homelessness Society, the program runs out of Maple Pool Campground in Courtenay. It has had a life-altering effect on participants, providing an opportunity for individuals on the fringes of society to exercise, socialize and to compete in a fun environment.
“The street soccer program and all of Dawn to Dawn’s recreational programming underscore my belief that fun, fitness and social change are interwoven. Or, as is our team motto: If you’re playing, you’re winning,” said Shilling, the coach/co-ordinator of Maple Pool United.
A residential support program worker at Dawn to Dawn, Shilling is married and has a son. He has a background in physical education.
He started the street soccer program by recruiting players from the soup kitchen that operates daily at St. George’s United Church in Courtenay.
Shilling affectionately refers to Maple Pool United as, “The little team that could.” In just its second season, the club hosted the Western Canadian qualifier at Lewis Park.
A few members of Maple Pool United — Joan Mathias, Heath Young and Christine Watson — were selected to Canadian teams that ventured overseas in recent years to compete at the Homeless World Cup of soccer. Joan went to Mexico for the 2012 tournament, Heath competed at the 2013 event in Poland and Christine traveled to Chile in 2014.
Street soccer involves four-person teams that play on a field about 22 metres long with hockey-size nets. Officials from Street Soccer Canada name players to the national men’s and women’s teams that compete at the Homeless World Cup. The event caters to all footballing abilities, meaning each team plays for a trophy.
Maple Pool United is hosting a street soccer challenge July 15 at Lewis Park. It is a fundraiser for Dawn to Dawn’s recreation program. Teams of five or more players are invited to learn the street soccer game. Entry fee is $250 per team.
“We will play a demonstration game to demonstrate to teams how the game is played,” Shilling said. “This also serves as a way to empower the players.”
