It may be the middle of summer, but Duncan Christian School had no trouble scraping together a soccer team when a travelling squad from an English school came by looking for some Canadian competition.
Both DCS and the Cowichan Valley Soccer Association fielded teams to play against Kimbolton School at the Cowichan Sportsplex last Thursday. The Kimboltonians had the upper hand in both contests, winning by identical 2-1 scores, but the experience was still a positive one for the local athletes.
"We were fortunate to be able to assemble a DCS team in the summer," DCS athletic director Tom Veenstra said. "Not having the face-to-face contact as we would in the school year proved to be a contest in itself. We had a bit of a challenge contacting all the players."
In the end, the Chargers were able to field a team of 16 players. Not bad for August.
"Fortunately there was a core group of DCS players that were immediately enthusiastic and committed, as well as DCS coaches Chris Muller and Ian Smith," Veenstra said. "Eventually, we were able to find enough to field a team."
The Cowichan Selects were guided by coaches George White and Peter Wynne, who also provided encouragement and support — and some additional players — to the Chargers.
Scoring for DCS against Kimbolton was Luke Armstrong, while Ben Sharrett handled goalkeeping duties. Paris Holland had the lone goal for the Cowichan Selects, with Jace Hilton putting in a strong game in goal.
Located in Cambridgeshire, Kimbolton School was founded in the 16th century.
Duncan Christian and CVSA families also billeted the Kimbolton players, something the school had never done for an international travelling team.
"It was definitely a valuable opportunity for our youth soccer players to connect with youth from across the world playing a game that they love," Veenstra said. "The Cowichan Valley families from DCS and from the Cowichan Selects also really enjoyed getting to know the Kimbolton players."
The opportunity was facilitated by Barkley Logan, who has previously helped find opponents and billet families for many visiting rugby and field hockey teams.