The 2021/2022 Season has been confirmed by the VISL Board of Directors, and the plan is to start Friday Sept 10/2021.
Team Registration will open up on Friday June 18/2021.
We look forward to the next phases as they are announced by the Province and our Parent Organizations.
Deadline to register is July 15, and that cost is $300.00
Applications submitted after July 15 will be $350.00 and may require further Board discussion for acceptance.
If the 2021/2022 season is unable to start, all registration deposits will be returned.
There will not be any VISL Cups from the 2020/2021 season carrying over and competed for over this summer.
The VISL Board is excited at the possibility of having an early start to the McGavin Cup. This will be dictated by registration numbers at the July 15 deadline.
Stay tuned for further discussion and possibilities for a potential August 1 start for McGavin.
There is a date set for the Annual General Meeting for the 2020/2021 season.
It will take place on Tuesday July 27, at 6:30 pm, location TBA, and it will be outside.
All teams south of the Malahat must have 1 representative in attendance, teams north of the Malahat are encouraged to attend if possible.
If any voting member would like to submit an amendment for consideration, please do so right away. Refer to ARTICLE VI of the VISL BYLAWS for specific process. Please note we are required to send any considerations out to membership 30 days prior to the AGM.
We will also have some positions available come AGM. The Treasurer position will definitely need a replacement as current Director David Lawes will not be seeking re-election. (Knowledge of Quickbooks would be great) The term of President is also up. Current President Jake Nemec has allowed his name to go forward for consideration. We will also have a Director at Large position(s) available. More details to follow, but if you would like to put your name forward or know of somebody that is willing to step forward, please contact Nomination Chair Kjeld Brodsgaard at kjeldb@gmail.com
Stay safe, support BC Soccer sanctioned return to play activity, and hope to see everybody on the pitch soon.
On behalf of the VISL Board of Directors,
Vince Greco
VISL Executive Director
(M)250-889-1213
(T)@vincenzo25
(I)vancouver_island_soccer_league
Larry De Costa, a well renowned soccer coach in the 1960’s passed away on May 1st 2021 in Victoria.
Larry came from a soccer family as his Dad Lou and Uncle Ed both played Senior Soccer in Victoria , the Outstanding Division 1 Goalkeeper Trophy in the VISL is named after Larry’s Dad, Lou De Costa .
Larry was a excellent goalkeeper himself having played juvenile soccer for Frank Grealy .He played in the old Victoria District League for Canadian Scottish and Gorge Hotel , he also played in the Pacific Coast League for the Victoria United . His playing career ended early as he suffered some serious injuries .
He turned to coaching in the early 60’s ; Larry took 5 juvenile teams to the Sun Tournament of Champions Finals with numerous of his Gorge players receiving All Star Awards , a Most Sportsmanlike Team Trophy plus one Championship . Larry then coached Gorge Molsons for 3 years in the District League plus coached the Gorge in the last 2 years of the Pacific Coast League finishing in 1973 . He later returned to coach juvenile teams and finished coaching the Gorge Over 30 Women in 2003 .
Larry’s greatest contribution to Vancouver Island Soccer were the coaching and player clinics he put on for the Lower Island and in Victoria . He would take some of his juvenile players to these clinics to show new organizations the modern coaching techniques to inspire the new coaches and players. He also helped develop the player feeder system at the Gorge which transitioned juvenile players to the senior program when the player was ready to advance . This system is used by many of the clubs in the VISL today.
From the early 60’s to the early 70’s Larry was the top developmental coach in the Lower Island Region as he set the coaching bar through his Gorge teams , he inspired other clubs to develop their own coaches and players and the whole area became more competitive .
Many coaches and players were influenced by what Larry taught them through his teams or the clinics
he put on and went on to the Canadian National team and a few became Professionals . Anyone in the 60’s who learned their soccer from Larry De Costa either directly or indirectly should pay tribute to him and say thank you for what he did for soccer in this area.
Condolences to his wife Pat , son Ross , daughter Heather and their families ....
Times Colonist Obituary - https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?n=lawrence-william-de-costa&pid=198665627
All VISL Membership;
Just a little update on behalf on the Board of Directors.
-All teams have been issued a generous refund for the past season.
Funds went back to the team or club that paid the original invoice fees.
Extra individual player spots and transfers were included in this refund where at least 50% of applicable registration fees were returned. If you have any questions, please see your team contact or your club administration.
Teams that played less than 7 games also received additional funds in the refund.
Banquet fees from the previous or current year were also refunded.
-We are wrapping up the fiscal year, so please make sure all individual $ owed are paid.
Having all funds paid will keep individuals, teams, and clubs in a position of good standing.
You might see a separate email notification soon.
-BC Soccer has asked that we send out a Provincial Cup survey. This survey is intended for team officials of teams who compete for spots in Provincial Cup. Here is that note/link:
Hello Coaches/Managers,
BC Soccer has developed a short survey to find out what participating teams value in regards to the Provincial Cup so they can work to improve the experience. Please take a couple moments to complete the short survey before the close date of Friday, May 14th. The link to the survey is below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CFVSGZQ
-Hoping all members and families are staying safe and are healthy.
We look forward to restrictions loosening, if possible, and start the process of getting ready for a new season.
Vince Greco
VISL Executive Director
(M)250-889-1213
(T)@vincenzo25
(I)vancouver_island_soccer_league
Thanks to BC Soccer for pushing this forward.
VIA EMAIL March 25, 2021
Attention: BC Soccer Full/Associate Members and Affiliated Soccer Clubs
From: Jason Elligott, BC Soccer Executive Director and Gayle Statton, BC Soccer President
Re: Supporting soccer to safely return Dear Full/Associate Members and Affiliated Clubs,
We regularly and repeatedly receive requests from members, affiliated clubs, and individuals from the wider soccer community asking what BC Soccer is doing to support soccer and get us all back to playing the game we love. As we have expressed, we continue to strongly advocate for soccer through our ongoing dialogue with ViaSport, the link between the BC Health Authority and the BC Sport Sector. This has been a constant over the last 12 months. Even with this dialogue, we continue to have no indication on when changes may come. Much of our advocating is done behind the scenes, however, today we wanted to share with the BC Soccer members and affiliated clubs the letter we sent to the attention of Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Hon. Adrian Dix.
The letter is appended to this memo on the following pages. -End-
CC: Charlene Krepiakevich, CEO, ViaSport British Columbia
BC Soccer Board of Directors and Staff
VIA EMAIL
March 25, 2021
Attention: Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer
Hon. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health
The BC Provincial Health Office
From: Jason Elligott, BC Soccer Executive Director and Gayle Statton, BC Soccer President
CC: Hon. John Horgan, Premier
Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Charlene Krepiakevich, CEO, ViaSport British Columbia
BC Soccer Board of Directors and Staff
BC Soccer Members and Affiliated Clubs
Re: Request of support for soccer to return safely
Dear: Dr. Bonnie Henry and Hon. Adrian Dix On behalf of our membership and BC Soccer, we would like to strongly request the removal of the continuing restrictions that prevent children and young adults from playing soccer.
We have respectfully complied with all PHO guidelines and restrictions, provided through ViaSport, and continually communicated with our soccer members throughout the province. We are proud of our membership and the responses and patience they have all provided over the last 12 months, which has not been easy.
Today, we still find our sport under heavy restrictions and we simply do not understand why. It would be beneficial to have easy to understand and credible data and evidence to suggest there is any risk of transmission on outdoor soccer fields throughout BC.
We are not experts in this field; however, we continue to review information and studies that come available on transmission among sports. There have been numerous studies on this subject among both amateur and professional athletes showing a low risk of transmission. Some of those studies are provided below and there seems to be the general consensus that there is no scientific justification for restrictions in the overwhelming majority of youth sports (including contact sports), and especially in cases where those sports are played outdoors.
Further, what is concerning is the inconsistency between restricted activities. Namely, children attending school, indoors, and the ability of those children to play outside in groups during recess and lunch hour which (thankfully) has been occurring since late Spring of 2020, and we have yet to see evidence that it’s creating “high risk” or high transmission events. In fact, the PHO has continuously stated that schools remain very low risk.
We’ve also noted that the WHL has recently received approval to return to play with strict safety plans, and we expect other hockey leagues may soon also follow suit. This is indoor activity, with close contact, who (from what we understand) are doing so without full endorsement from the governing bodies in order to expedite a return to play.
The above creates a worrisome situation for our Association, as we may now face the prospects of our members and associates, stepping outside of our (and by extension ViaSport) guidance and recommendations, seeking their own “special circumstances”.
We have asked repeatedly for credible data and information, that outdoor sport leads to transmissions, and have yet to receive any. Despite our membership being made up largely of non-profit organizations, those organizations that provide soccer programming are hurting, to the point of potentially being out of business because of these seemingly never-ending restrictions, with no indication of full resumption timelines. This point also only speaks to the organizational level; yes, we are a soccer association supporting members and clubs, but we (as a collective soccer community) are in the people industry and our people (the participants, coaches, referees, volunteers, and others) are all suffering.
If things continue as they are, BC Soccer will be put into an even more difficult position where we have to quell the heightening anger and confusion from our members (and the wider soccer community), while continuing to follow guidelines which we simply do not believe in anymore.
It’s now been a year of restrictions of one degree or another, and nobody can plan for the next month, or two months, or longer, for what will be a critically important factor in repairing the social, emotional, physical and mental damage these restrictions have caused young people. We all know sports will play a leading role in returning to normalcy.
However, it seems as though the PHO, continues to further a health risk narrative that pertains to outdoor sports, which leaves the impression that the restrictions are arbitrary, and punishing the wrong group of people.
Our Request
BC Soccer strongly requests that the Provincial Health Office, in partnership with ViaSport, immediately allow for soccer to be (at a minimum) where it was in the Fall of 2020 with a go forward plan to further remove all restrictions over the next few months.
Studies & Supporting Information
Interestingly, in March 2021, the lead researcher in the above study is further quoted in a Post Media article: “In terms of truly documented transmission between athletes during participation, I’m not aware of anything,” says Dr. Drew Watson, lead author on three University of Wisconsin studies that investigated COVID-19 risks in sports, and senior author on three other UW studies on the mental-health effects of sports shutdowns. I know researchers who are struggling to find even a single case among outdoor-sports participants, in particular.”
Respectfully,
Jason Elligott Executive Director BC Soccer
Gayle Statton President BC Soccer
