Local recreation group, Revelstoke Drop-In Soccer, is hosting its second annual Co-Ed Clash tournament Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, bringing players from across B.C. and Calgary to Queen Elizabeth Park for a weekend full of friendly competition, local food and more.
While team registration is closed, fans can cheer on athletes from the sidelines, grab a drink at the beer gardens and try out BurgerTing Food Truck, Revelstoke’s latest mobile kitchen.
The tournament starts each day at 9 a.m., and the weekend wraps with a final game between local teams Powder Hounds and Man Chest Hair United. With roughly 60 players in the tournament from Revelstoke, tournament co-organizer Emma Mains expects the community support to be high the whole weekend.
“I’m sure a lot of friends and family are going to be heading down to watch their loved ones play,” she said.
Organizers are hoping to capture the spirit of the original Big Bear Classic tournament that played alongside the annual Little Bear tournament, hosted by the Revelstoke Youth Soccer Association. The Big Bear Classic ended in 2019, and the Revelstoke Drop-In Soccer team aims to tap into the excitement and support of the original tournament.
“There’s a lot of healthy chirping going on, it’s just a really good vibe,” Mains said.
Drop-in soccer nights a ‘cross section of town’
Revelstoke Drop-In Soccer hosts games at Queen Elizabeth Park every Thursday. Players of all skill levels are welcome to reach out to Mains and other Revelstoke Drop-In Soccer organizers at [email protected] for details.
With players from around the world joining in for one game or every season, the group offers residents and visitors a chance to connect over a shared love of soccer.
“We have such an interesting cross section of town that comes to drop-in,” she said, adding that it’s not just the range of long-term residents and seasonal workers but also front-of-house staff playing alongside company CEOs on the fields every Thursday.
Over the years, Mains has seen countless newcomers to Revelstoke find their place in town through the Revelstoke Drop-In Soccer evenings.
“There’s some intimidation for a lot of people in making new friends. It can be a really nice bridge to meet new people and do something that they already enjoy,” she said.
Mains herself grew up playing soccer along with many other Revelstoke Drop-In Soccer participants, each of them keeping a passion for the game going.
“It’s a global sport that’s played the same way, more or less, no matter where you’re from,” she said. “You can just join a team and jump in.”
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