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B.C. YOUTH SOCCER

Jopson runs

to the soccer

forefront

WEST VANCOUVER’S Fred Jopson will lead the march in
the April 26 to 27 soccer tournament scheduled for Bur-

naby’s Swanguard Stadium.

Jopson, a West Vancouver resi-
dent for most of his adult life, has
been leading the parade of B.C.’s
finest youth soccer players for
some 20 years.

More importantly, this vear
marks his 25th term as a volunteer
director of the B.C. Youth Soccer

. Association (BCYSA).'

A founding member of the. Ca-
nadian Youth Soccer Association,
which was integrated with the Ca-
nadian Soccer Association in 1981,
Jopson epitomizes. the committed
and loya! amateur -sports ad-
ministrator who has been an in-
tegral part of the growth of his
chosen sport. _

“B.C. Youth Soccer Association
director Fred Jopson says...‘‘better
players must: have something to
shoot for.”’

Of his involvement, Jopson
says: ‘‘lt takes a lot of my spare
time, sure, but being involved in
the administration. of the game
over the years has given’ me a great
many hours of personal. satisfac-
tion — not the least of which is the
pride in seeing boys grow into
men, and those men becoming in-
volved in coaching, refereeing ‘or
running soccer clubs themselves in
later years,’”’

“Of course, that also now ap-
plies to the girls too. They’ve
become a big part of the growth of
soccer in the Province in the last
decade or so."'

Jopson has helped make BCYSA
a model for all North America.

In the early 50’s, Jopson moved
to West ‘Vancouver where he
quickly became president of the
West Vancouver Soccer Club. He
built the organization up from
three teams to 60, and, in the pro-
cess, coached the West Van Blue
Devils, four-time Sun Tournament
finalists and three-time winners.

He eventually became a director
of the North Shore District Youth
Soccer Program before stepping up
to become a director of the pro-
vincial governing body.

He served as chairman of the
BCYSA in 1968 and "69.

His Jong-standing involvement
has resulted in many accomplish-
ments.

As one of the people largely
responsible for the start of the

B.C./Washington youth soccer ex-
change, Jopson helped launch
what has become one of the largest
soccer events of its kind in the
world.

The exchange program has been
running annually since 1961 and
now involves upwards of 20,000
individuals over two weekends
every fall.

His other triumphs include the
introduction of the B.C. All-Star
team concept in 1968; organization
of the Pacific Coast International
Youth Soccer Tournament (an an-
nual competition between
Washington, Oregon, California
and B.C. representative teams,
also established in 1968 and to be
held in B.C. May 24-25); and help-
ing to establish the United States

Youth Soccer Association and its.

constitution.

Two soccer booklets, both writ-
ten by Jopson and former BCYSA
directors Ctive Hughes and Cy
Ashdown, were also instrumental
in the development of the game
here and south of the border.

On soccer, Jopson says: ‘‘I’ve
always stressed the enjoyment of
the game as first priority for
anyone. If a boy or girl is not en-
joying the game they'll drop out
and take up another sport."’

“You've got to have the grass
roots recreational foundation in
any sport, but the tier system has
helped promote wider participation
at all skill levels. The better players
must also have something to shoot
for."

It is one of the reasons Jopson
addressed himself particularly to
the elite players for many years.

He explains that a player must
play at the level of his or her own

‘ability. Potentially ‘good - players
- will never improve ‘playing against

sub-standard competition.
REMAINS ACTIVE
Now retired from his labor rela-

tions job with Federal Pioneer,
Jopson continues to devote much

-of his free time to the ‘sport he

loves.

He maintains an interest in the
national scene by serving as B.C.
rep on the CSA’s Youth Soccer
Committee, formed to compensate
for the loss of the national youth
soccer body. :

He continues to steer. the B.C.
All-Star team program, which’ has
produced many fine players
who've gone on to professionil ca-
teers either in the now defunct
North American Soccer League,
the Major, Indoor Soccer League in
the U.S., or with overseas pro
clubs.

Current national team players 10°

have gone through the all-star
team development scheme are
goalkeeper Paul Dolan, defenders
Bobby Lenarduzzi, Randy Samuel,
Randy Ragan, lan Bridge and
David Norman, and forward Date
Mitchell.

17 = Wednesday, April 23, 1986 - North Shore News

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