Summer Games focus on soccer, friendships
Annual event began in early 1980s; attracts teams from Canada, Montana, Washington
What started out as a way to signal the passing of summer has emerged over the years as a true celebration for soccer fans and players.
The Whitefish Summer Games Soccer Tournament gets under way today in Whitefish. This will be the 26th time the event has taken place for the men and the 25th for women.
When the tournament was first held, 1981 (men) and 1982 (women), only a handful of teams gathered to match skills and establish friendships.
"It's certainly much bigger and the standard of soccer has vastly improved," Colin Sellwood of Whitefish said.
"We never really planned for it to be anything but having a bunch of fun and making soccer more popular."
Perhaps that is also the secret to its success. It is now billed as the oldest and biggest adult soccer tournament in the state.
"It's all about having a good time and hopefully having good soccer to go along with it," said Lini Reading, who has played in 22 of the tournaments and also helps organize it.
"With all the friendships we've made over the years, I think that's the neatest thing."
Play begins at 9 a.m. today and Sunday. The championship matches are 2:30 p.m. Sunday for the women and 4 p.m. for the men at the fields at Grouse Mountain Lodge.
"The obvious reason is it's so beautiful here," Sellwood said of the event's major drawing card.
"It's also a fun tournament. We've always focused on attractive soccer and fun. I think that is a reason it is so popular."
Sellwood played in this tournament the first six years it was held, suffering a broken nose in one of them.
He's been the tournament organizer for the last six.
"I was gonna quit this year, but I'm having so much fun with it, I'm gonna keep doing it," he said.
"I'd like to make it even bigger and better."
This year's edition will feature 12 adult teams from Montana and Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, in the men's regular division. New this year is the Old Pharts Division (six teams with players 39 years of age and over).
The women's division (teams can have five players on the roster under the age of 30) will also consist of 12 teams.
"There could be 25 or 30 teams (participating),"
Reading said. "We're usually full by mid-February.
Most of the time teams will leave a check for next year (after this tournament is finished)."
One of the oldest participants is Bill Rocksund of
Columbia Falls. He is 70.
"He will play two minutes each half," said Sellwood.
"I think it's wonderful he still plays."
When this event began, tennis, volleyball, softball,
biking, volleyball, horseshoes and mouse racing were
also some of the standard sporting fare offered.
A group of businessmen in Whitefish started the games.
"It was a last hurrah for the summer," Sellwood said.
"Always held the weekend after Labor Day."
While many of the other sporting activities have faded from the weekend schedule over the years, soccer has thrived.
"I think we only had four (teams) the first year," said Sellwood.
"Cranbrook won it quite handily."
That first year was also memorable because the soccer championship match was played in a snow storm.
"We took shots of peppermint schnapps every time someone scored a goal (to warm up)," said Sellwood.
"It was bitterly cold."
A team from Lethbridge started coming the second year and the Canadians have always been well represented.
This year they have four teams in the men's division and two in the Old Pharts.
"Cranbrook finally got old and quit coming five years ago," Sellwood said.
"They're coming this year for the Old Pharts Tournament and to revisit the scene of their past crimes."
The first year the tournament was played on a rough football practice field at Whitefish High School. Three years later, two soccer fields at Grouse Mountain Lodge were built.
The Armory Field was added after that. And then a couple years ago, the tournament was expanded to include Smith Fields.
"One of the reasons we're so fortunate is we've had the same group of referees, men and women, coming for the last 10 years," Sellwood said.
"Mostly from Calgary, some from San Diego. They pretty much come up here just to officiate."
The three officials that work each match split $50. One of the officials, Mike Seifert, has worked international matches.
"When you have enthusiastic people doing it, that's the reason I've stayed involved in it," said Reading.
"It's a lot of work, but when the first whistle blows on Saturday morning, it's awesome."
Park City, Utah, won the men's title last year while Northern Express took the women's title.
Northern Express, a group of local players, also won it in 1997.
The last time a local team - Flathead Soccer Club - won the men's title was 1986.
Tournament Teams
Men
Group A
Whitefish Wizards, Missoula Pyron, Cranbrook
Group B
Lethbridge Hornets, Billings FC 1971, Gonzaga Old Dogs
Group C
Spokane, Missoula Mutts, Calgary DaHoods
Group D
Flathead Rapids, Lethbridge Gunners, Bozeman
Old Pharts Division
Group E
Whitefish Old Pharts, Calgary Titans, Barnstone
Group F
FVCC, Fort McMurray, Spokane
Women
Group A
Express, Sparwood, Celtic Storm
Group B
Spokane, Fernie, Trappers
Group C
Bladerunners, Cranbrook, Steelers
Group D
Surge, Missoula, Bullets