The OSA has begun a new series titled Spotlight on the Grassroots.
This feature will put the focus on clubs around the province who might not normally grab the headlines but are doing great work in their community.
The first in this series profiles Olympic Flame Soccer Club.
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For some clubs, bigger means better. More players means more money, which translates to more resources to work with for the community.
While the philosophy to grow the game in this fashion has been trending for quite some time, other clubs are looking to provide for their members in an entirely different way.
Enter Scarborough's Olympic Flame Soccer Club.
Founded in 1983, they are an intentionally smaller, community-focused club. With only 500-550 players annually, they cannot accommodate any more players at their house league facility. And despite regularly being full well before the season begins, they don't intend to, either.
"This allows us to run an exceptional program for a very reasonable price which, in turn breaks down the barriers to entry which can exist with the more expensive programs," President Tom Gribilas said.
It is that openness and commitment to the individual that keeps their community tight knit, which results in former players coming back to give their time to the club that gave them so much.
"(It's) the loyalty we see from our previous soccer players who come back to the club with their children to play and coach. Our entire staff is made up of volunteers who do what they do for the love of the game and the community," Gribilas said.
Offering a house league, select and competitive stream, their 32 years have been rich with a history of success.
"Some of the more memorable moments are the provincials and national championships in which we have participated over the years," Gribilas said. "What it shows is that you do not need to be a large club with a large budget and big facilities to be successful."
So what does it take to be successful? According to Gribilas, simply put: commitment from their membership.
"You need dedicated volunteers, players, parents and commitment from everyone. We are lucky enough to have all of those qualities in our club and this has allowed us to be successful, while maintaining our fun, safe and top-quality house league which is the core of our club," said.
"We hope we can continue to provide these opportunities to the youth of our community for many more years to come."
Click here to learn more about Olympic Flame Soccer Club.