Nelson Soccer Association (NSA) players, coaches and volunteers gathered at Lakeside Park pitch on Tuesday to kick off the 2018 outdoor season and honour a man who was instrumental in making the sport a success in the region.
Kerry Dyck was a former president of NSA, a passionate youth coach and active adult player. He passed away earlier this year after a courageous battle against cancer.
“Kerry was more than a soccer man, he was an unbelievable human being,” says Brett Adams, the head coach for the Whitecaps Kootenay Academy Centres. “He lived for his family, his friends and soccer. He will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.”
Dyck grew up in Nelson where he was active in the sport at both the youth soccer and high school level. The father of three was pillar of youth soccer, coaching hundreds of young players at both the house and rep level. He was known for his tireless work as a volunteer on the executive who strengthened the sport at every turn.
Dyck was also very involved as a player and leader in the adult soccer community in Nelson.
At Tuesday’s ceremony, players from all ages at the rep soccer level gathered for a ceremony on Lakeside pitch that included a one-minute moment of silence and one-minute of applause. Players, coaches and volunteers from the 15 teams were on hand for the special moment that included Dyck’s wife, children and parents.
“We want to honour the memory of Kerry in light of all his hard work and perseverance with soccer in Nelson,” says Adams. “We wanted to be able to kick the season off with Kerry and carry him with us for the rest of the season and beyond.”
The outdoor rep season has now started with more than 300 male and female soccer players between the ages of 12 and 18 preparing to represent Nelson at tournaments throughout the spring that lead up to the provincial championships in early-July.