Moose Jaw Celtic is no exception.
The elite boys soccer program would have a whole run of games under their belts by this point of the indoor season in a normal year, something that would have given the crew a decent gauge as to where they stand in their development and progression.
Instead, it’s just like everyone else in the pandemic era -- doing what they can while scrabbling to stay on the field as provincial restrictions to control the disease continue to change as things worsen or improve.
Right now, that means a similar situation to that seen with minor hockey: taking to the YaraCentre field to practice in groups of eight while following a slew of protocols and regulations to keep everyone safe.
“They’re training, and they’re the only (Moose Jaw soccer) group we currently have that’s allowed to train,” said MJSA technical director Jordan Jeffery. “It’s been a period adaptation for them, they’re constantly having to adapt since restrictions do keep changing pretty regularly.
“But the boys are pretty good at understanding this is just the way it is for the world right now and they’re grateful and appreciative to keep playing in this time. And in terms of going forward, we’re just hoping to keep playing and not looking too much beyond that.”
The good thing is the program is still completely intact -- Celtic players are in school and taking classes when they’re not on the field, a situation that has turned into something plenty positive given the circumstances.
“They’re all very much committed, and we’re also seeing improvement on the academic side of things as well,” Jeffery said, adding that one player has seen a 10 to 15 per cent increase in their grades across the board.
“There were a couple of parents who were nervous about sending their kids far away from them and potentially losing the motivation for school because they were involved in a high-performance soccer program. But to hear their grades are improving too, that’s a fantastic thing to hear for the program.”
It’s also no coincidence. Players from the Moose Jaw Warriors and AAA Warriors hockey teams, the vast majority of whom are billeted, are regularly found on their school’s honour roll, with some even landing league awards for their academic performance in the past. And for good reason -- with good grades come better opportunities after their time in Moose Jaw has come to an end.
“I think we have some very mature boys for their age, they know that soccer is the priority, but at the same time if they want to get further opportunities down the line with soccer, their grades have to be good now,” Jeffery said.
“That’s a really important realization, to understand that I can go off and do things, but my school grades have to be a good level to get opportunities post-secondary… you need to make sure you’re in a situation where your school grades match up to your play on the field.”
When it does come to taking the turf, Moose Jaw Celtic is continuing to use the Return to Play curriculum they received from their Scottish Premiership patrons at the beginning of the pandemic.
“It’s a very, very good curriculum, which is one of the benefits of being part of such a strong club,” Jeffery said. “They have the capacity to give you drills you can do that still follow their philosophy and their structure, and at the same time you’re able to meet your guidelines and regulations. We’re not looking to just have players come in and stand at a cone and bounce a ball foot-to-foot. We’re looking to bring as much value as we can on the field and I think we’re doing a really good job with that.”
Now, it’s all a matter of hurry up and wait. With rumours throughout the sports world holding fast on things not opening up until the end of March in Saskatchewan, the current plan will have to hold for another month and a half, at least.
“If that ends up being the case, then it’s just a matter of ‘let’s just keep safe and keep doing what we’re doing’,” Jeffery said. “We’ll be hoping when the outdoor season comes, that the restrictions aren’t as major. There’s a lot more space they can operate outside, so hopefully when it comes around we can play some games, otherwise we’re going to stay on the field as long as possible and continue this program.”
