Organized youth sports back on the field in Arnprior this summer

Sports are back in Arnprior Organized youth soccer returns to the Ottawa Valley. CTV's Dylan Dyson has more on the growing excitement.

ARNPRIOR, ONT. — Outdoor sports leagues have the green light to operate when Ontario enters Step 2 of the COVID-19 reopening plan, and the Arnprior McNab Braeside United Soccer Club (AMBUSC) is ready for kick-off this July.

"It’s very close to being normal now, which is great because the government just let us know that yes, we are opening up," says Bryan Terrell, president of the club. "It’s really been almost two years of playing, we almost lost the summer. And luckily we’re able to start now."

Unlike last summer where some organizations only ran drills and skills training under restrictions from the province, AMBUSC say this summer will see a return of what parents and players expect from an organized league. Teams will practice and play games against other teams each week, with the league expected to run between eight and ten weeks.

But while a return to organized activity will surely be welcomed by players and parents alike, safety will still be an issue top of mind.

"There’s going to be sanitizer and masks at the field," said club vice-president Lucas Power, when asked about the safety measures families can expect this summer.

"All of our coaches will have their own masks and sanitizer. We have each division itself, so a U8 or a U6 group, they’re going to have their own field, and they’re only going to play with each other."

Power adds there will be staggered practice and game times to allow teams and families to arrive and leave without coming into too much contact.

For Chris McNeill, who has all three of his kids aged seven, eleven, and twelve registered to play, the protocols and safety within the community are enough.

"Most people are at a fairly confident level and they’re feeling comfortable bringing their kids out now," says McNeill. "We know a lot more now this summer than we did last summer about how to control the virus and all the protocols."

One thing is for certain this summer, the goal for the league and its players will be a return to normal.

"It’s something I’ve really missed," says Zoe Butterly, a player on one of the U14 teams. "Getting back to interacting with people and being active again, rather than boring running in the neighbourhood. I use it as a stress reliever, so it’s been really hard to keep it all in without letting it out somehow."

"The whole point of this year is just to get back and provide the kids and our community with something to do this year," says Power.

The club says ahead of their to be determined July start date, at least 275 players have registered with the league so far, which is only about 100 shy of what they are used to seeing.

"I think it’s crucial, I think it’s so important just to get kids doing something," says Power. "Off the couch, off the video games; kicking a ball around, that was my childhood. I grew up outside on this field so to get kids back on the field it means a lot."