BY SCOTT HADDOW
[email protected]
The soccer fields around Greater Sudbury will be engulfed by
the roars and actions of top Ontario soccer players as the
eighth annual Sudbury Panhellenic Soccer Tournament kicks off
this weekend.
Over 70 teams from across the province will be in action,
making it an event that can't be missed.
"People attending are going to see competition at a high
level, especially the kids," said chairperson Fabio Belli. "We
have all age divisions covered - from 11 to 18 and even a
women's division."
The tournament is a boon for local players.
"This tournament gives local kids the opportunity to compete
at the highest level they can," said Belli.
Teams are driving in from communities such as Windsor,
Ottawa, London, Timmins, Oshawa, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay
and Toronto.
"We have a lot of teams that come back year after year
because they recognize it as an elite tournament and a
first-class event. It's also another great opportunity for us
to showcase Sudbury to the rest of the province."
Players who have waged war on the fields in past tournaments
vividly remember their time spent playing in the Panhellenic
event.
"It's a great opportunity for the local players to compete
against the best and it's a great time," said Kayla O'link,
four-time participant. "What's really good is all the different
teams that come in to play. It makes it unique."
The Panhellenic tournament has also opened doors over the years to bigger and better things for numerous players.
Panhellenic Under-16 girls team member Morgan McCrory was
one of those players who got a chance to do something
different.
"Playing in this tournament is how I got picked for the
regional team," said McCrory. "The coach of the team saw me
play and picked me. It was very beneficial for me."
Coaches from provincial teams watch the Panhellenic
tournament like hawks, looking for talented and determined
players.
"This tournament is important and gives me the opportunity
to see the young players who are coming up in the sport for the
future," said Brian Ashton, the Northern Regional head coach
for Youth Development in Northern Ontario. "It gives me another
opportunity to see current regional players and how they're
developing and if they're pulling their weight. The tournament
also allows players from the north to see how they can compete
against players from the south."
Ashton likes the tournament because the format allows local
teams to face other teams from different regions on home turf.
"It gives local teams a bit of an advantage because the
local teams are always travelling down south to play in games
and tournaments," said Ashton. "The more we can attract from
the south, the better for local competition and the
tournament."
The Panhellenic tournament is now more than just a blip on
the radar screen for other teams.
"This tournament is getting bigger...It's now on the radar
screen and on Ontario soccer websites as a good tournament to
attend," said Ashton. "Every year it grows and they attract
teams from all over."
Ashton sees soccer in Sudbury becoming stronger.
"It's really starting to grow in the north," said the coach. "It seems it's still more popular down south, but it's taking off here. There's some really good talent up here and it takes a tournament like the Panhellenic one to make people realize what we have to offer in the north."
