Walking Soccer

Our Lethbridge group has been playing walking soccer since the fall of 2022. We have up to 20+ people in our group with usually 12-18 people at our sessions. We play Monday and Wednesday mornings (Sept through May) and weekly on Wednesdays (June through August) from 10-11 am at the indoor soccer center in Lethbridge. The men are all over the age of 50 and the women are over the age of 40. We have 2 women who regularly play. Most of us have not played professional soccer but have played in various recreational leagues over the years. In 2023, 3 of us (myself included) played for Team Canada over 60s mens team in the inaugural World Nations Cup at St George's Park in England and finished 4th overall. We lost to England in the semifinals. I am the only representative from Lethbridge that is going to Spain this week to play in the 2nd World Nations Cup. This time Canada has 4 teams: over 50s women, over 50s men, over 60s men and over 70s men. The over 50 and over 70 men's teams are playing in Spain this week. The over 50 womens and over 60 mens play next week. I am one of the two goal keepers for team Canada. Two years ago in England I was awarded the most outstanding goalkeeper in the over 60s men's division. We are hoping to finish a bit better this year than we did in England. Walking soccer is aimed at people who love the game but due to age or other physical issues, no longer play the regular game. The main point of walking soccer is to minimize the risk of injury and the rules are built around that. The definition of walking for the purposes of this game is the same as speed walking, one foot must be firmly on the ground at all times. The game is played with 5 aside plus a goal keeper on a field that is about 1/4 of the size of a regular soccer field.. In some instances a small net is used and no goal keeper is needed. The ball cannot go above 6 feet and cannot be headed. No physical contact is allowed and a player with the ball cannot be challenged from behind or from the side.