It’s true what people say, soccer really is the world’s game.
No other sport in Canada – or in Cochrane – has seen such continuous growth in the last 10 years.
Since being founded in 1985, the Cochrane Rangers Soccer Club has proven to be a staple in the community that won’t be bullied by the popularity of hockey, baseball, and football among other sports.
With outdoor registration having recently opened, the club is in better shape than ever.
“Registration is an ongoing process,” said Rangers president Paul Tas. “As it stands now, we have around 130 to 150 competitive players – split half and half between men and women – and close to 100 recreational players.
“We’ve added a co-ed league this year, which brings in another 20 to 30 people, so in total we expect around 250 or so players, which is what we’ve had for the last several seasons.”
Since soccer has constantly been expanding within the community, the Rangers and Cochrane Minor Soccer have welcomed new players into the mix each season.
Tas believes while there are many people the club can rely on to participate year in, year out, change – for the better – is in the air.
“The guys and girls in our over-30 leagues are really the mainstays,” he said. “However, now we’re starting to see changes from the youth levels and up.
“Our recreational league in particular has grown, because a lot of people can’t or won’t commit. Playing on a competitive team requires a lot of commitment, and with people having to work or play in Calgary all the time they can’t do that.
“Another problem is the fact we play in the summer, and that’s when everyone takes vacations and goes camping. Our rec league allows people to go and have fun without all the hassle.”
One of the new features Rangers members can look forward to for the upcoming season is the co-ed league, which Tas says, “is an idea the club wants to continue to grow.”
“We started it this indoor season,” he said. “One of the main reasons behind it was the fact we were looking for something to bring out that husbands and wives could do together. It’s a fun Sunday evening out for everyone.”
Looking to the future, the biggest change to the Rangers organization this year has been an increased collaboration with Cochrane Minor Soccer, something that will make the transition from youth to adult level soccer much easier for players.
“We’ve always kind of ran together with Cochrane Minor, but there’s never been much of a plan. This year there is,” Tas said. “Before, a lot of kids quit playing around the under-16 and under-18 levels because they had nowhere to go, we’ve changed that now.
“Some of the under-18 players are going to be called up to play with the adults, and we now have joint practices. It’s all about making the transition easier and building a core group of players.”
The highest-level side the Rangers have this season is a women’s Division One team who play in the Calgary United Soccer Association.
“For the town of Cochrane, that’s a pretty good level,” Tas said. “Last season they held their own, finishing in the top four. We also have a Division Four team, which is great for us because there are some girls coming out of minor who are not ready for Division One. Starting in a lower league allows them to get used to adult soccer.
“It’s a big jump going from minor to adult. It’s a lot harder. I wouldn’t say it’s faster, but it’s a lot more physical.”
On the men’s side of the spectrum, the club’s highest-level for the outdoor season is a Division Four side, which seven years ago was in Division One, but due to commitment and not being able to keep a steady crop of players has been progressively downgraded to their current division.
“Last year, the team was relegated from Division Three,” Tas said. “People always leave so we haven’t been able to keep a team together. We want to build a core from the bottom up.”
The club’s plan for combating this dilemma is arguably the most interesting innovation for the future the Rangers have brought forth: a joint Cochrane Minor Soccer/Rangers boys under-18 side.
“We’ve never done anything like this before,” Tas enthused. “We really want to rejuvenate the men’s side and get it back into Division One where it belongs. It’s going to take a couple years, but that is the ultimate goal.”
For more information on the Rangers, visit www.cochranerangers.com
