The Juan de Fuca Soccer Association renamed itB次元官网网址檚 annual tournament the Sandy Stewart Memorial mini festival.
Stewart passed away after a battle with cancer in January and naming the tournament after him was something that just fit, JDF Youth Rep, Kevin Allen said.
JDF President Dave Johnson said he was so passionate about looking after the youth, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 always about winning, it was about teaching and having fun.
Stewart got involved in soccer when his two sons played and stayed with the sport since, wanting children to maintain their passion for soccer as a lifelong sport, Angus said.
Stewart did more than coach with JDF, he ran referee training courses, mentored referees, was involved in scholarship committees, organized bingo events, worked at dances, and was a major contributor to writing the constitution the club has been using since the 80s.
StewartB次元官网网址檚 son, Angus, coaches for JDF and his grandchildren play in the club too.
Stewart worked in the Sooke School District for 34 years. He was a vice principal at Dunsmuir, and then became a principal at Journey, and he coached at both schools. Stewart believed that for some kids, sport was the only thing that kept them in school, so he wanted to give as much opportunity to children as possible and it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have mattered what sport or event, Stewart would have helped, Angus said.
Angus remembers driving around with his dad before practice and picking up kids who were unable to get rides to the field. He hoped it would connect the children to their community and encourage them to give back to their communities when they were older.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 great for my family to have his name attached to this and thereB次元官网网址檒l be a lot more generations [to come],B次元官网网址� Angus said.
Angus has coached 17 seasons of kids, before and after his children were born. He is also on the board with the club and thinks community involvement is just as important as his dad did.
There were 853 participants ages 3 to 10 in this yearB次元官网网址檚 Sandy Stewart mini festival. When the club started in the early B次元官网网址�80s, there were 350 kids participating in JDF, and now there are about 1,500 kids, Johnson said.
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