Sackville and Memramcook Soccer Teams Unite for Friendly Scrimmage
A gesture towards community soccer revival
On Wednesday July 23rd, soccer players from Sackville and Memramcook gathered for a special match. It was not part of regular league play or a tournament. It was simply a friendly scrimmage aimed at rekindling local soccer enthusiasm.
Memramcook’s U9 team needed opponents. Coach Jeff LeBlanc reached out to eight teams in the region, but only one responded positively – Sackville’s U11 girls team, led by longtime coach Kate Crawford.
Crawford, who grew up playing co-ed soccer in Sackville, believes strongly in the benefits of mixed play.
“When Jeff offered to host the scrimmage, we said yes,” Crawford said. “All the girls, everyone wanted to play. I invited some of the U11 boys to join us as well. Growing up in Sackville, soccer was all co-ed. It was just such a good experience playing co-ed, understanding how people play, and adjusting to the speed of the game.”
Reviving Memramcook Soccer
Soccer in Memramcook has experienced a revival thanks to five local mothers who founded a youth soccer camp three years ago through the Tim Hortons Timbit Sports program. the camp has steadily grown. Founding member Carole Leger noted significant growth over the past three years.
“In our first year, we had about 100 players,” Leger said. “This year, we hit 122. We’re really excited. It means the community is talking about it, and the interest is clearly there. It’s attracting more families than before. People are moving to Memramcook with families, so it’s nice they have something here instead of having to go to Dieppe.”
Another founder, Stephanie Gallant, explained the positive impact of having an experienced coach this season.
“We restarted soccer, and it was always just parents volunteering,” Gallant said. “But this year we lucked out. We got a parent who used to coach university soccer and higher levels. He has contacts, so he was able to arrange this scrimmage with Sackville.”
A coach’s vision for the future
Jeff LeBlanc grew up playing soccer in Memramcook from U7 through U18, and he remembers a thriving soccer culture. He hopes to recreate that environment for today’s young players.
“For me growing up, there was always a league,” LeBlanc said. “Coaching this group for the first year, I saw talent immediately. Knowing they had no organized games, I thought, ‘No, these kids need to play.’ Having Sackville come out as the first team to respond showed nerves at first, but in the second half, it was a great turnout. If it stays like this, we can really make it grow.”
Leger shares LeBlanc’s vision and recalls the community soccer atmosphere of her youth.
“It would be nice to have soccer like when I used to play,” Leger said. “We had a big tournament at the end of August. We had a canteen, sold corn on the cob. It was a big deal. It would be amazing if my kids could experience that too.”
Future plans and cooperation
Crawford and LeBlanc are optimistic about the potential for regular collaboration between Sackville and Memramcook, providing more structured play for younger age groups.
“I’m really trying to organize little jamborees with our younger groups, similar to what Jeff is doing,” Crawford explained. “There’s no organized league play for seven, eight, and nine-year-olds in Sackville, so scrimmages or jamborees would be perfect. I know every kid in Sackville would want to participate, and I’m hopeful we’ll get something done before summer ends.”
LeBlanc emphasized his long-term goal to establish local teams and tournaments in Memramcook.
“The goal is to have full teams for boys and girls at the U11 level and eventually have an actual league here,” he said. “Maybe next year, we can host a tournament, a jamboree.”
Crawford added that she is already planning to keep soccer active year-round in Sackville.
“There will be soccer in Sackville this winter,” Crawford said. “It would be amazing. I’m doing it.”
This recent scrimmage represents a hopeful step toward rebuilding youth soccer across the Tantramar region.
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