Westmount women are kickin’ it in the park

For at least a decade, Westmount Recreation has been doing its best to cater not only to kids, but to adults as well with the Westmount Women’s Recreational Soccer League. “We’ve been running a women’s 17-plus program for at least 10 years, however it has really taken off in the last four or five," said Westmount Sports & Rec coordinator Anitra Bostock. "We’ve had more interest from the 25-plus crowd in the last three years, especially as many women wanted to play but didn’t want to compete with the 17-year-olds who didn’t necessarily have to go to work the next day. “Starting in 2006, we’ve been offering the split of 17-25 and 25-plus. Registration and participation has been full and this year there were even more women in the 35-42 year old category who were interested."

The age split, it would seem, has offered a major incentive for more women to play soccer in Westmount. “Many of our players have never played before, others had played in high school, and some at university, but with jobs, kids and life in general, they hadn’t been able to pursue it,” Bostock said. “A lot of them sign up because their kids play, and we see that and encourage them to play as well. It’s really a lot of fun and it’s a great way to socialize and get in a good workout.”

With the league growing, women from all walks of life have been signing up. “There are 36 registered players this year (18 per team) and we had a waiting list of 12 people. Some are lawyers, stay-at-home moms, some doctors, real estate agents, publicists – you name it, they do it,” Bostock said. “The youngest player this year is 31 and the oldest is 55, with a wide range in physical fitness and ability. Teams are divided up based on age, known ability, level of fitness and, of course, friends, to try to make it as balanced as possible.”

The younger group plays Monday nights and the older group Wednesdays, with all games played at Westmount Park.

Westmount Rec will offer a twice-weekly 25-plus league in the fall as well. “The point for the 25-plus league is to have fun. We want to encourage women to try something new and learn about the game their kids all play, to get out of the gym and come outside to play and laugh,” Bostock said. “On the field, there’s no worries about jobs, kids or anything else it’s a chance to get away from it all and enjoy something just for themselves.”