HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-08-25, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011.
Blyth Junior Broomball
Registration
Saturday, August 27
9 A.M. - 12 Noon
For Youth 19 years of age or younger
New Players need a copy of their Birth Certificate
* Late Payment Fee will apply *
Questions contact Mary Ann Drost 519-523-9017
For 2011 to 2012 Season
Registration Location: Blyth Arena
Wednesday, August 31
7 P.M. - 9 P.M.
Sports
Ducharme plays soccer in England, named MVP
Wyatt Ducharme recently returned
from playing soccer on some of the
best pitches in the world as the MVP
for his team – and he’s only 14 years
old.
The Brussels-area youth, who will
be attending F.E. Madill Secondary
School as part of the incoming
Grade 9 class next year, travelled to
England to play with his soccer
team, the Waterloo Wild, in a recent
international tournament in England
and was named MVP as his team
took first place.
Ducharme’s journey to jolly old
England started in Brussels as he has
always had a self-professed love for
playing soccer.
In an attempt to find a more
challenging league, he joined a team
in Drayton, and, from there was
scouted by the Waterloo Wild.
“Drayton was the closest place I
could play in a higher league,”
Ducharme said. “I made them the
first year I tried out for them, but I
played in Brussels before that.”:
“During my first year, I made the
Wild’s ‘B’ team,” he said. “This year
I made their ‘A’ team and our
performance got us a spot at the
tournament.”
Not a team to stop winning,
Ducharme’s Wild swept the
tournament, going 5-0 against teams
from countries like Norway, Kenya,
and England and outscoring their
competition 24-0.
Ducharme was honoured with the
MVP award for his team after
winning the division and is currently
the top scorer on his team.
While the soccer was a different
level, Ducharme said that his team
impressed some people and
infuriated others in a country that is
known for their soccer fanaticism.
“It was definitely a different
game,” Ducharme said. “The other
teams were faster there, rougher and
quicker to anticipate your moves, but
we were able to come out on top.
“A lot of the coaches got angry
when they saw how well we were
doing, I guess they expected us to be
good at hockey, not soccer,” he said.
The win netted the Wild the
opportunity to study with the soccer
pros at the Manchester United
Football Club, but schedules and
cost stopped them from staying.
The team already had to raise
$34,000 in three months just to
attend the tournament and
Ducharme’s mother Shelly was
impressed by that figure.
“The boys worked so hard to raise
that much money in so little time
through selling calendars and
chocolate bars, as well as finding
sponsors,” she said. “Their
behaviour is definitely to be
commended.”
Cost actually proved a barrier to
some teams from a lot closer than
Waterloo, as clubs from areas such
as Wales couldn’t raise the money.
The trip also included the
opportunity to watch a professional
game between Stoke City and
Croatia.
“We went to the stadium and
experienced it all,” Ducharme said.
“We got to go into their locker room
and see the jerseys and experience
the fans.”
The only downside to the
experience was the wait, according
to Ducharme.
“We had our tickets and
everything, and it still felt like it took
us eight years to get in
because the line was so long,” he
said.
Since Ducharme joined the club,
the Waterloo Wild have been
climbing leagues, starting in a lower
league and recently being advanced
to a league just below the provincial
level.
If they can finish the year and
manage to defend their current first
place position, they may be
promoted again to the provincial
level.
The Wild play at RIM park in
Waterloo, and have four games left
in the season, as well as a few
practices and a final tournament in
London.
“We have a week off after the
tournament, and then tryouts for
2012 begin at indoor playing
surfaces,” Ducharme said.
The Brussels youth, and his family
travel to Waterloo, as well as
locations like London, Guelph and
Kitchener two to four times a week
for soccer.
Leading his team
Brussels’ Wyatt Ducharme, back row, third from right, was the MVP of his team, the Waterloo
Wild, at a tournament they attended in England. The Wild went 5-0 and ended with 24 goals
for and no goals against. (Submitted photo)
Congratulations
Congrats Wyatt and teammates
on your Cup win in England.
Your team’s performance,
discipline and sportsmanship is
admirable. A young team of
Canadian Boys is putting
Canadian Football on the map.
Good luck to all of you in your
future football endeavours. We
are so CANADIAN proud!!!!
Love Mom, Dad, Ty and Cart...
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Koopmans competes at Horseshoe Nationals
Ralph Koopmans of Central
Huron - a horseshoe competitor
sponsored by several local
companies, has once again taken his
game to the national level.
After not feeling completely
content with his eighth place finish
at last year’s World Horseshoe
Championships in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, which was held in late
summer, Koopmans packed his bags
and travelled to Woodstock in late
July for the Ontario championships
where he placed second in the ‘G’
singles division.
He then made his way to
Blaineville, Quebec earlier this
month, which is approximately 45
kilometres north of Montreal’s
downtown and eventually placed
fourth in the national competition
there.
In comparison to Koopmans’
dislike for the indoor facilities he
played in last year, he actually quite
admired the facilities he was in this
year.
“It was an absolutely beautiful
facility,” he said. “We were playing
in a large horse barn, it was the most
natural setting.”
Koopmans said that the quality of
the field was “unbelievable” and that
it blew him away.
First place was literally a throw or
two away for Koopmans, who lost
two games, one by two points and
one by a ringer.
“If I would have hit one or two of
those throws, I would’ve been in
first place,” he said.
Koopmans also said that the
hospitality shown to him in Quebec
was second to none, and that it was
better set up than some of the world
competitions he has been to.
Local businesses Sparling’s
Propane, Howson and Howson
Limited, Vanden Heuvel Structures
and Elliott-Nixon Insurance covered
his costs as his sponsors.
“I really need to thank all my
sponsors,” he said. “I wouldn’t’ve
been able to get there without them.”
Next up for Koopmans are some
annual tournaments in Mildmay and
Barrie with the national horseshoe
championship in Saskatoon always
in the back of his mind.
Koopmans says that throwing
horseshoes is the perfect excercise
for those of all fitness levels.
“You get to be outside and meet
people, and it’s a lot more fun than
standing on a treadmill,” he said.
“You get to really experience it, and
it’s low-impact enough that anyone
can do it.”
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Horseshoe hero
Ralph Koopmans, centre, recently returned from the
national horseshoe championships near Montreal in
Quebec. Koopmans took fourth in his division and is
shown here with fellow competitors Tom Gelnia, right, and
Charlie Fromm. (Denny Scott photo)
Chip and a Putt – By Bruce Skinn
On Monday, Aug. 15 member
Bob Johnston started the week off
right at the Wingham Golf and
Curling Club. Bob had a hole in one
on the tough par three second hole.
Great shot Bob!
The Tuesday ladies enjoyed their
monthly fun night with a taste of
Italy theme. Many of the 35 ladies
came dressed in the red, green and
white colours of the Italian flag.
The gals played a nine-hole
scramble before joining in the
dining lounge for wine and cheese
followed by a full course Italian
supper. The team of Jan Dauphin,
Mary Houghton, Cathy Skinn and
Diane Thompson took home first-
place honours with Marg Webster
Continued on page 9