Bowen Island FC players and coaches took part in a special training session at the EA Sports campus in Burnaby last month.
Players from the island organization (BIFC) were invited out to participate in the FC Futures program, a component of the entertainment company’s flagship soccer game EA Sports FC. Together with European soccer organization UEFA, the groups develop training regimens which are tested by athletes around the world with the goals of implementing them into the game and making them available for coaches and teams in real life.
“This year we were really lucky that we were able to put Bowen Island FC forward as one of the teams that took part in those sessions,” said Andy Gillooley, a coach and board member with BIFC and a creative director at EA. As part of its efforts FC Futures has also built several soccer fields and outfitted them with equipment in communities around the world.
At the Burnaby campus, 36 U12 and U13 players from Bowen took part in drills which involved dribbling, passing and shooting. The different elements emphasized quick reactions in a fast-paced setting as the kids continually ran around the field to complete the next part of the drill. The practices are tracked electronically in order to become playable modes within the video game and to be shared with teams.
Gillooley points out that while our local coaches punch well above their weight, the chance to work with professionals who have worked at the highest levels of the sport doesn’t come around everyday. “The coaches are of a really high calibre, they’ve got experience throughout the European systems. So it’s just a huge opportunity for the kids.”
The BIFC coaches also took away plenty from the experience. “They got to feed off the energy of the kids. I think it was a huge opportunity for them to see what the power of sports is at a high level,” says Gillooley on the adults collaborating with the UEFA coaches.
Aside from the soccer, Gillooley also hopes the adventure might act as a sort of career day for the kids by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at the organization's facilities, which the team was able to explore following the practice.
“I think it’s huge for Bowen Island and our soccer community,” says Andy on the takeaways from the day. “It all comes down to what a well organized club we’re lucky enough to have.”
“It was always thought of as something that should be run professionally, that should offer a true pathway into soccer for our young players, and put back into the community as much as possible. We have a very open-minded board that are always looking for opportunities and how to take advantage of the diversity of people that are on the island. The volunteers that we get all bring different skills, so this is just one area that we’re able to take advantage of that,” he says.
Back on Bowen the BIFC season is ramping up with spring sign-ups. Programs this year include those for youth – Mini House for younger kids and Academy for those older – and for adults, a Co-Ed, Women’s, and Over-50 leagues. Adult leagues start April 1 and Youth Leagues get going on April 12.
“If somebody’s never kicked the ball before there’s probably no better place to come and take your first steps than at BIFC,” says Gillooley. “Everybody understands that we’re part of a fantastic local community and we want to keep that going with the sporting opportunities that we provide as well,” he adds, also pointing out that the club is always open to ideas on how to expand BIFC’s range of programming.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to bring new ways to engage in the sport to all our levels of soccer. With a World Cup coming up (Canada-USA-Mexico Summer 2026) we might look for ways to get the kids out to watch a game together. We’re very much open to the world around us and what we can do as a group to make sure that everyone gets the most out of the club,” says Gillooley.
