When there’s a professional soccer club in your community, you partner with it! SD62’s soccer academies are now ‘Powered by Pacific’ as Pacific Football Club (Pacific FC) joins forces with Royal Bay Secondary, Dunsmuir Middle and Edwards Milne Community schools.

“We are excited to announce this partnership,” says Ravi Parmar, SD62 Board Chair. “Pacific FC is a terrific community organization – this type of partnership is absolutely a win-win for everyone. Our students get professional training and the club further expands its involvement into both the Westshore, Sooke and surrounding areas.”

Looking to bring enhanced training opportunities for the soccer academy students, SD62 contracted Pacific FC to provide a balanced program for both recreational and high-performance players. Training will include on-field skills and scenarios as well as off-field physical and mental preparation. SD62’s contract with Pacific FC has the sports organization partnering with the Royal Bay Secondary School, Dunsmuir Middle School and Edward Milne Community School soccer academies.

“We are looking forward to working with student athletes at Royal Bay, Dunsmuir and EMCS to help them develop, both as players and as people,” says James Merriman, Associate Head Coach & Technical Director, Pacific FC. “These years are key to developing their technique, insight, personality and speed.”

Club staff will work closely with academy teachers to continue to provide a wholesome training experience for players.

“We have an active soccer community here at the school and this partnership will help our students take their game to the next level,” says John Mennie, Soccer Academy Director, Royal Bay Secondary School. “Our Academy students will benefit from the guidance and expertise Pacific FC brings to the table.”

Pacific FC has already tapped into the soccer talent that Vancouver Island has to offer, signing Vancouver Island Wave product Sean Young prior to the 2020 Season. Young went on to make 9 appearances at the Island Games hosted in Prince Edward Island this past summer.

Visit the Academies page online to find out more about the SD62 Soccer Academy program and other academies offered by SD62.

ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Founded in 2018, Pacific Football Club brings professional football to Vancouver Island. Playing out of a renovated, 6000-seat Westhills Stadium in Langford, the club provides an outlet for Canadian soccer players to compete at the professional level of the sport on home soil.