Airdrie soccer surges on World Cup buzz, but facility space runs short

Airdrie is experiencing a soccer boom. The World Cup being held in Canada is driving interest in the sport, especially among kids who are watching the games in schools, restaurants, and on social media.

Jennifer Hogg, executive director of the Airdrie Soccer Association, said the timing is huge for the sport. "There's more kids that play soccer than any other sport and so bringing the big game and the biggest event, kind of, not quite in our backyard, but pretty close, you know, is huge," she said.

After the World Cup ends, Hogg expects significant growth in their programs—but the association has a major problem: it doesn't have enough facility space. Programs have already capped enrollment because there aren't enough indoor rooms available. The association has access to Genesis Place and the Airdrie Soccer Fieldhouse, plus outdoor fields in summer, but it's still insufficient.

"It's a good-bad problem to have, right? Lots of kids want to play and participate but they need space," Hogg said. The Airdrie Soccer Association is the only soccer program in the community, and it serves all ages through partnerships with Alberta Soccer and Canada Soccer.

Hogg hopes the World Cup buzz will push the city to expand facility capacity. "We got our first point and our first win in a World Cup ever in our history, and very, very likely that as of Wednesday, Canada will advance from the group stage," she said. "We've set more records for ourselves in this World Cup than I think anybody thought was possible."

The association is offering summer camps starting July 6, mainly for kids ages 6-12, at East Lake Fields.