The soccer season is in full gear in the North Bay and that was definitely the case this past weekend as the Nipissing District Soccer Club hosted its first-ever festival event.
More than 400 boys and girls were part of the U9 to U12 soccer festival at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex in North Bay on Saturday.
The festival was the first of its kind in North Bay and the Nipissing District Soccer Club hopes it can be repeated annually.
The Nipissing District Soccer Club has operated the past two summers since the pandemic while the North Bay Youth Soccer Club, for the second year in a row, elected not to operate due to COVID-19.
Mark Hopper, President of the Nipissing District Soccer Club, says it was rewarding to see so many children smiling on the pitch.
“It’s a driving force for kids to have competition again,” Hopper said.
“Physical activities, playing with other kids, and having those synergies between coaches, parents and kids are all positive. We were outside, there were no masks, the kids were smiling.
"All that is important.”
