RY NYLANDER/The Daily Courier· . , , '. .

Wayne, .eaptaln of the Kelowna Kodiaks street soccer team, talks about his experiences during practice at the Sunplex arena on Tuesday.Sunday, the Kodia'ks travel to Vancouver to take on five other teams from the Vancouver area in a friendly tournament.

By J.P. SQUIREThe Daily Courier

"I thought the team was aidea, to bring peopleoffthe ::'Ul;tl::.1to unite them and have someadded assistant captain andtender JeffRezansoff, -ey're good or no e e . f

pIa. an everybod a good

·Jeff and Wayne couldn't stoplaughing Tuesday as they

'. passed a soccer ball backand forth at the Simplex

arena on Ellis Street. f .

The two players and other mem- A home reeovatorbers of Kelowna's new homeless Gospel. fissionstreet soccer team are heading-to moving into ITaBStriQVancouver on Saturday for its first For many years.game. . in the LowerMainland,", T~e .KelownaKodiaks 'Willtake Brian Ducharme an Richard•..on five other. homeless- soccer -E;:t;l21J.tWOof s.e~en.sha~eholders.in'teams fromthe Vancouver area in; Sunplex,watchedllie team practise'. a friendly indoor soccer tourna- and Ducharme even kicked a fewment hosted by the Salvation balls 'Iuesday ,Army's North Shore Shields and "You can't get unless you give.the, 'Vancouver Street ,Soccer That's our true belief," said Enns,League (www.vancouverstreetsoc- "We're trying to give back wherev-cer.eom), .er we can in the community. This'However, they are all winners in ' just seemed totally fitting."

the eyes of their coaches,' Tom "It's a great idea," 'Ducharme.Maxwell and Tiffany Simpson. said. "They really enjoy it." ."Afewyears-ago,I read a bookby GARY NYLANDER/fhe,Daily Courier , Tne tournament in Vancouver:

a, Scottish guy; Mel Young, who Will. Mitc,hell, right, shoots on goalie ~effAezansoff during Kelowna will expose the Kodiaks totourna-· started the Homeless World Cup," Kodiaks practice at the Sunplex arena on Tuesday. .ment-style play and friendly com-Maxwell said. "It inspired me to and .regional district, free practice our jerseys with pride and try and petition in an effort to prepare for·want to start something.And :-vl:ten time from Sunplex, and sponsors win the tournament for Kelowna." the National Street Soccer.;wemoved to Kelowna last,year; we like BigWhite and .Wendy's.,· " The team is made up ofhomeless Tournamertt later this year, saidthought there'san opportunity in Team members have opened"up', and marginalized men who'live on I Maxwell. ' . . :Kelowna. Why' not take 'it?' And since they started practising, said the street, in trimsitiollCll,housing' At the national tournament, play-here we.are." , Maxwell, "telling us a lot more and drug rehabilitation housing in ers could be selected to represent.They have six regular partici- " about their lives." 'Kelowna, all of them slowly devel- Canada at the annual Homeless

pants and others who showup from .'.'A lot of them have moved into oping a passion for the game, she World Cup to be held this. year in, time to time: The minimum for a housingafter living at the Kelowna said.' . , Paris' . 'mini-soccer team is a goalie, four Gospel Mission," said Simpson.. Team captain Wayne,who didn't (www.homelessworldcup.org), .

· onthe pitch 'and a spare.Teams "They're doing programs on life want his last name published, said "We want to educate 'the people· 'play two eight-minute, halves so skills and here they get their.exer- he loves the game. . of the Okanagan about the powergames are fast and.furious. cise. Today, you can feel that vibe: "It givesme more drive on life. It of sport to drive social.change at a· The community got behind ..the we're.going away, we're going to, .will be .nice to go to Vancouver to - local, national t "and global level,"'team.with assistance from the city Vancouver, we're going to, wear see what w~can do," h,e'said. said Simpson. .' .