Hanover Kickers nab second Fair Play award

Hanover Kickers received the Manitoba Major Soccer League Fair Play Award for the second year in a row.

For the second year in a row, the Manitoba Major Soccer League has awarded a Fair Play Award to the Hanover Kickers.

Kickers' president Norman Anderson says it is quite a feather in the cap for the Kickers as the award is given to the team that exemplifies fair play throughout the course of the season. A Fair Play Award is handed out in each division. The Kickers were the First Division winners. "It is not often the leading teams in the division win the award, but we were able to do it two years in a row." Anderson noted, "To be competitive as one of the top teams and yet show good character and excellent attitude shows the kind of players we have."

Both the Kickers and the Hanover Strikers of the Third Division had winning seasons this year. The Kickers will remain in the First Division next season and the Strikers in the Third.
Perennial goal-scoring champion Aaron Reilly won yet another title, winning the First Division crown, while Rudy Ginter of the Strikers was the leading scorer in the Third Division.

The Hanover Kickers organization, which also oversees all youth soccer in Steinbach, held their Annual General Meeting on Nov. 25. One of the main topics of discussion was the restructuring of the youth format that will ultimately reduce the size of teams and will require more coaches, which will be to the benefit of the players. Additional volunteers are also needed for the administration of the soccer programs because of the number participants, which is close to 600.

Last year the City made a tract of land off of Highway #52 near the new Southland Community Church, which connects through to L.A. Barkman Park, available for a soccer complex, that would include a number of soccer pitches and possibly a large indoor tent-like facility. Fund-raising for the project has not yet got underway but Anderson says they hope to begin next year. Anderson is hopeful the complex will become a community endeavour, that would include the involvement of many sports user, business and community groups in the city, as well as the City itself and possibly the school division.

The Manitoba Soccer Association put on a coaching clinic for coaches of teams from ages 5 to 9 last weekend in Steinbach and will be offering two more clinics in the New Year. A Youth Clinic, for coaches of teams ages 9-14 will be held Feb. 18 & 19 at the SRSS and a Senior Clinic (ages 14 to adult) will be offered April 22 & 23. For more information on either of these clinics contact Anderson at 320-9100.