The NOTL Soccer Club has cancelled regular play for 2020, but is still hoping there can be some sort of “shortened” version of a soccer season.

The club will be issuing refunds to anyone who has already registered for summer 2020. 

“The board of directors is heartbroken that for the first time in our history, we will have no organized soccer season,” president Ted VanderKaay said in a statement to The Lake Report. “That is our only reason for being, to serve kids in our community, but COVID-19 has stopped all of our best intentions.“

And while the season is cancelled, “We have not yet given up on soccer in our community. Given the opportunity, we will offer families in the community an alternate version of soccer this summer.”

A “shortened” version of a soccer season is contingent on the provincial government allowing the sport to resume and it would focus on skills and culminate in some informal games between appropriate age groups, the club said in a news release. 

With the town in a state of emergency and all town facilities, including soccer fields, closed until the end of June, it was difficult for the club to plan for the summer. The season usually starts around the May long weekend and ends the week before Labour Day.

As well, on May 11 the Ontario Soccer Association, an organization to which NOTL Soccer belongs, announced that all sanctioned in-person soccer events and activities for the month of June have been cancelled or postponed. 

“We rely on many generous local businesses for sponsorship for both our house league and travel programs. With so many businesses feeling the financial pinch under the current situation, we felt the timing was wrong to approach them for donations,” the club said.