Roma tournament a success
The St. Catharines Club Roma Spring Kick Off Tournament wrapped up last week after two weekends of soccer throughout Niagara.
A total of 96 teams in age groups ranging from U11 to U18 in both girls and boys divisions took to the pitch, for many their first opportunity to see outdoor action of the season.
Tournament director Martin Beswick said the tournament has grown substantially since beginning six years ago.
“We started off with 10 teams and this year we had about 96 teams just to get some pre-season games in for our teams and teams in the region,” Beswick said. “We used fields all over St. Catharines and Welland. We’re blessed to have a lot of turf fields in the area.”
Roma entered teams in all divisions and came away with championships in the U17 boys, U17 girls and U18 girls divisions, although Beswick said winning isn’t a priority at this stage of the season.
‘It’s just a pre-season tournament and it’s good to win, but at the same time, it’s also about getting players as many touches on the ball as possible,” he said.
Beswick said with so many teams now involved, being organized is essential.
“I take care of scheduling and registration and there are a lot of people behind the scenes who help out and make sure things run smoothly. It is the volunteers that make our event work,” he said. “Being organized and communication is a key, letting everyone know well in advance what the expectations are and what they need to provide prior to the tournament in terms of travel permits and giving them the tournament rules so they know what’s expected of them.
“It’s a lot of work but it’s a fund raiser for the club and also it gives our teams a chance to compete before the season begins, get their feet wet, get them on the field playing games. A lot of our teams have been training hard throughout the winter and there’s not a lot of opportunity to play games.”
Roma also hosts a larger summer tournament, slated for July 20-21.
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