A surge of interest expanded a Langley adaptive soccer event into a much larger sports day that involves sports groups from across the entire Lower Mainland.
“It’s kind of evolved over time,” explained organizer Jasmina Parhar, Vancouver FC’s manager of game operations and events.
“We’re calling it an adaptive sports day as opposed to an adaptive soccer festival.”
Hosted by NetPositive Football Society and Vancouver FC, Adaptive Sports Day at Willoughby Stadium is being billed as an afternoon focused on fun and inclusion. It will take place Sunday, March 29 from 3–5 p.m. at the stadium next to Langley Events Centre at 7888 200 St.
“It was originally supposed to be a competitive soccer environment, but through conversations with the local soccer programs, we decided that once kids are in an environment like this, the last thing they want to do is play soccer,” Parhar told the Langley Advance Times.
“It was originally focused on youth with disabilities, but now we’ve opened it up to adults and anyone that wants to participate. We reached out to local soccer clubs, and we got some feedback saying, this is something that the kids would really enjoy, everyone just being in one spot at the same time. So we just decided to make it a festival.”
Several clubs with adaptive programs, including Abbotsford United Soccer Club, Langley United Soccer Association, and Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club, are involved. So is the Vancouver Bandits basketball team, Langley Rivermen hockey team and the Vancouver Rams football franchise.
Parhar described it as the “inaugural one.”
“It’s something that we want to build on and make even bigger every single year.” Parhar commented.
“We’ve been kind of on a time crunch planning this one, but I think as we’re planning this one, we already have future ones in mind.”
People can register online for the free event at https://forms.gle/wntx2SCFEnDZV9c89 until Friday, March 20.