Youth soccer players from Tla’amin Nation’s under-13 team have been touring the province heating up long-standing rivals.
Sliammon Junior Braves or SJBs, as coach Dave Moon calls them, were in Duncan for Cowichan Eagles’ annual Mothers’ Day tournament and in Vancouver for Musqueam’s tournament last weekend.
Though suffering a heart-breaking loss in their final game to Musqueam First Nation in shootouts in Duncan, Moon said his players pushed him to take them to Vancouver for a rematch the following weekend.
“It’s quite the rivalry that has built up, though it is all about the kids having fun,” said Moon.
The SJBs made a comeback in the last 10 minutes of their game against Musqueam, a game that Moon said will stay with him.
“We were down four nothing and we came back to tie the game,” said Moon. “That’s the highlight of my life.”
Moon took 14 players to Duncan and despite their loss he was impressed with how they played.
The team he took to Vancouver the following weekend is called the SJB Selects and is composed of players from Tla’amin and about eight other nations in the province, he added.
On Saturday, May 17, the team played against Seabird Island and finished with a draw. The second game that day ended in defeat for the Selects after meeting Musqueam again. They finished the day with a win against Burrard First Nation. They defeated Seabird Island in the final round on Sunday, but lost again to the hosts, said Moon.
He is currently organizing the third annual Sliammon Junior Braves Cup for July 12 and 13 and is encouraging anyone who wants to see high-calibre youth soccer to watch the matches which will include teams from across the province.
