A walking soccer drop-in program at the Saskatoon Sports Centre is providing a fun and competitive outlet for seniors and people with mobility issues.
Saskatoon 's walking soccer drop-in program is one of many fielded across the province as the sport's popularity rises.The walking soccer drop-in program at the Saskatoon Sports Centre offers seniors and people with mobility issues a way to play the sport without the same level of strenuous exercise. But that doesn't mean the players aren't competitive. More than a dozen walking soccer players move around the pitch at the Saskatoon Sports Centre as fast as they can without breaking into a run.
'Unfortunately, for guys that have played the game for years, and ladies that have played the game for years, it's difficult to just walk,' said David Taylor, 78, one of the player-organizers of Saskatoon's drop-in walking soccer program.Most of the players who show up to the drop-in program are retired — though there are some younger players — but old age hasn't worn down their grit. As Taylor spoke with CBC, people scurried around the pitch behind him at the quickest pace allowed and yelled orders to their teammates. 'One of the major differences is that when you pass a ball in regular soccer you pass it in front of the person, probably two or three feet sometimes, so they can run onto it. In walking soccer, you pass to their feet because you can't get to it otherwise,' said Taylor. There are some other rule changes from traditional soccer, beyond walking: the ball has to stay below the shoulders, the net is much smaller net and goalies must stay within a semi-circle zone that surrounds the net. For now, walking soccer is just a drop-in program in Saskatoon. In other cities across Canada, like Lethbridge, Alta., or Guelph, Ont., the lower-impact sport has developed into leagues.Taylor said he's hoping to expand the sport and bring in more women, who make up a relatively small portion of player
WALKING SOCCER SENIORS MOBILITY SASKATOON SPORTS
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