The Terrace Spirit Bears soccer team is heading to Prince George on July 10, aiming to make their mark at the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games. The squad, which includes players from both Terrace and Kitimat, will compete as the Games run from July 10 to 12.
“There’s actually four players from Kitimat,” said Chris Dale, head coach of the Spirit Bears. “Three live there and one is originally from Kitimat but now lives in Terrace.”
The Games are set to draw between 1,100 and 1,200 athletes from across British Columbia and Yukon, competing in 10 sports including soccer, 10-pin bowling, basketball, bocce, golf, rhythmic gymnastics, powerlifting, softball, swimming, and track and field. Events will take place at venues such as CN Centre, Masich Place Stadium and the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre. Admission is free for spectators, and volunteers are still being welcomed.
Kitimat will be sending only the soccer players this year.
Dale has been coaching for over 20 years and has watched many players grow through the program.
“Some of them have been there that whole time,” he said. “As a team, we played last year in a regional tournament. Special Olympics follows a four-year cycle, just like the mainstream Olympics—starting with regional tournaments, then moving to provincials, nationals and international events.”
Although this particular team has been playing together for only a year, many of its athletes bring plenty of experience to the field. Dale is hopeful about their prospects at the provincial level.
“We’ve had a pretty strong team this year,” he said. “It’s hard to tell because we don’t know how strong the opposition will be. We’ve got one player from Kitimat who’s really strong, and others who are pretty good too.”
Teams at the Games are placed into one of four divisions—A through D—after qualifying matches that help officials gauge playing levels.
“For a small place like Terrace, we’ve got a good range of skill levels,” Dale explained. “A division is very high-level soccer. Honestly, you can hardly tell the difference from mainstream soccer. I think we’ll likely be placed in the B division.”
Supporters who can’t make the trip to Prince George can still cheer the team on from afar.
“People can send their support through Facebook. That’d be the best way right now,” Dale said. “We leave at six in the morning, so I don’t know if anyone’s going to want to come and send us off.”
The Spirit Bears roster features a mix of players from Terrace and Kitimat. Representing Terrace are Harmit Atwal, Pam Auckland, Hannah Dale, Laura Dale, Bonnie Edgars, Tristan Sampson, Janis Sharyk and Caleb Wacholtz. From Kitimat, the team includes Theo Jack, Nathan Readman, Owen Readman and Eric Young. The squad is guided by coaches Chris Dale, Alex Blum-Walker, Sarah Thompson and Carrie Menhinick.
