The Bingers Army Whistler FC (BA Whistler FC) men’s soccer team is looking for more talent.
Founded in 2021 by a cadre of Sea to Sky players as an affiliate of the Bingers Army Originals, BA Whistler FC experienced immediate success by earning a Division 3 title in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL). That granted them the right to move up into Division 2 last year, where they finished third. A league restructuring subsequently placed them in Division 1.
With backing from longtime sponsor Corona Excavations Ltd., BA Whistler FC won its first pair of Division 1 matches before dropping the next three. As of this writing, they are 10th out of 16 teams in the standings.
“We won 2-1 the first game, scoring in the last minute, and then [the next match] we won 2-nil,” recounted player-manager Dale Barker. “It was a gritty game with a lot of yellow cards, which suits us a little bit because a lot of the players are English or Canadian and used to that. But, it’s definitely a big step up in standard.”
Division 1 is the VMSL’s second-highest tier of play behind the Premier category. Barker and his teammates are enjoying a more professional feel to their games now, owing to the presence of linesmen and a higher standard of officiating. By the same token, they must contend with younger, faster and fitter opponents on squads who draw their members from teams throughout Metro Vancouver.
Whistler is obviously known more for fresh powder than turf, and Barker acknowledges a measure of difficulty in attracting players during ski season. Travel is also a factor: there are some who are unable or unwilling to go to Vancouver every weekend for league play. Fortunately, those who do show up are a close-knit bunch, and news of BA Whistler FC’s recent exploits have garnered support on social media.
Youth infusion
Critical to the recent growth of BA Whistler FC—as well as soccer throughout the corridor—is Mark Freeman, head coach of the Whistler Youth Soccer Club and Pemberton Youth Soccer Association as well as the adult team. Freeman has done an excellent job developing waves of adolescent players into upstanding adults both on and off the pitch. Many of these individuals have joined BA Whistler FC or other teams in the more recreational Whistler Summer League.
“We’re now getting the youth coming through from Mark Freeman and Dale,” said Jim Walker, co-owner of Corona Excavations and a longtime champion of soccer in Whistler. “Those guys have done an incredible job over the years to nurture the quality of player that you need [for a Division 1 team]. It’s now coming to fruition, all the hard work that the boys put in.”
BA Whistler FC’s roster includes local youth alumni such as Sabin-Faegan Dixon, Tyson Stager, Charlie Robinson, Noam Steele, Luke Soane, Jack L’Estrange, Scott Aikins, Taylor Boehm, Aidan Ramage, Alex Fuez, and Mathias Nelson. Barker names the 19-year-old Dixon in particular as a standout.
“He’s only 5-foot-3, he’s a small guy, but from what he’s learned from Mark and his natural talent, he can stand his own against 34-year-old Serbian fellows whom he did extremely well against [in our second Division 1 game],” said Barker. “It’s key in a higher division to have young guys who are quick, tenacious and agile to help blend in with the more experienced players.”
Then there’s Walker, who along with his co-owners Dave Robson and John Minton has been a staunch supporter of Sea to Sky soccer for decades. Corona Excavations began sponsoring the first Whistler team (which until recently operated as Corona FC) in the late 1990s. Walker has been there every step of the way.
‘A pretty big milestone’
Corona FC dissolved in 2020, spreading its relatively high-end talent across the eight-team Whistler Summer League. Walker, Robson and Minton continue to sponsor BA Whistler FC with their company, providing—among other things—a brand-new kit for the team.
“Putting in a Division 1 team is a pretty big milestone,” Walker said. “We definitely had some talent in the early years, we’ve had ex-pros coming in, but we’ve never had that same commitment as the players [in Barker’s generation]. I played in the Pacific Coast Soccer League in my formative years here in Canada, and it’s a tough league to play in … so to be able to get a team of this calibre, I think, is pretty major.
“It’s another testimony to Whistler and the people this town brings. We’re excited for the boys, and we’re there [as Corona] to support them. Whatever they need.”
Those interested in lacing up the cleats for some competitive play are invited to join practices on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Cheakamus Crossing. Locals can also follow the team’s exploits on its recently-established Instagram page at instagram.com/bawhistlerfc/?hl=en.
