In an effort to provide a more consistent approach to offering coverage for the wide variety of sports that are highlighted on SudburySports.com, we've decided to include a new feature. Bi-weekly or monthly sport-specific updates will offer a wide array of statistical tidbits, roster updates, tournament results for participating teams. The Sudbury Athletic (Soccer Club) will be featured monthly - next update is July 11th

The Sudbury Athletic were kind enough to provide us with a brief team by team overview of their club rep soccer teams this summer via the first edition of the Athletic Announcer. Following are portions of the club newsletter:

Now that head coach Sylvie Rodrigue has mastered the art of refereeing, she has accepted the new challenge of coaching the Sudbury Athletic U10 boy’s team. With a full roster of players fresh off the recent indoor season, the outlook is bright for this young team. Rodrigue's dedication and passion from indoor soccer has been carried forward to the outdoor season. If her coaching career is anywhere near as successful as her refereeing career, expect big things from this newest addition to Sudbury Athletic.

Head coach Bruce Lindsay and his team make the adjustment this year, moving on to the full field for the first time. Having helped to develop two U-10 teams last year, Lindsay takes on the challenge of the bigger field. Once again he is the coach, manager and all around team gopher. His dedication to Sudbury Athletic youth soccer is unquestionable and unsurpassed. The environment that he creates is welcomed by players and parents.

With the folding of one of the 2007 U-11 teams comes the creation of a U-12 squad with plenty of depth. With three players currently on the regional team, good things are expected from this crew. The team, under head coach Dino Moretta, will be in tough with a division consists of all older teams (three U-13 boys teams as well as single entries in U-14 boys, U-14 girls and U-15 girls.

Moretta will be assisted, on the sidelines, by former Polish White Eagle and Sudbury Hawk standout John Sikora as well as Dan Maslackewycz, who has really stepped up to the plate to help develop youth soccer within Sudbury Athletic organization.

Coaching the first ever youth team to don the Sudbury Athletic uniform, Jeff Vaillancourt first began working with this group back in 2004. Unlike many other competitive soccer teams in Sudbury, Vaillancourt has been able to keep his core group together and create a competitive and fun atmosphere for the kids. Despite some turnover, the team continues to attract quality players and after a very successful 2007 season, is looking to do well in the tournament circuit.

Another first for this crew as the Athletic will play host to Ontario Cup play for the first team in club history as the U-14 boys welcome four other teams to town on the weekend of June 21st and 22nd. Games are slated to take place at both the James Jerome field as well as at the Delki Dozzi Sports Complex.

An entry in the SRCSL Men's First Division, the merger of the Elliot Lake and Athletic groupings kicks off their fourth year of re-introduction into the local league. The affiliation of the Uranium City crew with the Sudbury Athletic has been prosperous for both the Town of Elliot Lake and Sudbury Athletic.

New team manager Sam Lettieri takes over the administrative reins as head coach Vince Dagostino looks for this team to follow up on a successful 2007 season that saw them make the playoffs and field a competitive team each and every night.

The team is also beginning to attract Sudbury-based players as Devin Maslackewycz (son of U-12 ass't coach Dan Maslackewycz) has jumped on the Elliot Lake uranium train.

Turnover is the name of the game when it comes to the First Division Athletic squad and the coaching/management triumvirate of Steve Loewen, Bruce Lindsay and Charles de la Riva. The F.D. Athletic appears to have their hands full each year with inexplicable turnover on this team.

In 2008, solid recruitment paid dividends as (unfortunately) some players were released. But true to his character, Loewen has made every effort to ensure these players have a home and can play soccer this summer. He is the model for the Athletic Attitude.

This year's Premiere team has experienced some turnover but is still led by three veterans as player-coach Kevin Kroft, Ron Menard and Gary Choy return for another season. The midfield will also be solid as Charlie Hasner, Stephane Legrand and Rob Caputo are also back with the Athletic.

The remainder of the roster is filled out by solid players recruited through various sources. The team is looking forward to the addition of Antonio Radford-Paz as he moves to Athletic after a very successful career with Panhellenic. His skill and youth will be a very welcome addition to the team.