By Chris Law - Lake Country Calendar
The face of the Thompson Okanagan’s Super Y-League soccer team is undergoing a makeover and at the helm of the changes is Lake Country soccer enthusiast Geoff Greenwell. The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club, in partnership with the British Columbia Soccer Association (BCSA), has appointed Greenwell as general manager of the squad, which is being restructured and renamed as the Okanagan Whitecaps Football Club for the 2009 season.
“Soccer is my passion,” said Greenwell. “I look forward to blending this passion with my experience in business, to help make a difference for players in the Okanagan.”
The Lake Country Soccer Club will be the home club for the new team. Greenwell says that having the Okanagan Whitecaps based out of Lake Country will bring more exposure and provide more opportunities for local players. The community can also look forward to the financial benefits and facility enhancements that elite teams often bring with them to their home fields.
Greenwell was selected by the Whitecaps for his new position after a year and a half long search for the ideal candidate. In his personal life, Greenwell works in administrative positions for all levels of the Okanagan’s soccer community. His soccer experience however, was not the sole reason Greenwell was chosen to head the team. A general manager needs good business sense as well in order to hire staff, prepare budgets, organize travel arrangements and acquire equipment and services for the team. Greenwell’s work as a strategic planner and facilitator for Fortune 500 companies, governments and First Nations gives credit to his ability as a leader.
A Super Y-League skills evaluation day has been scheduled for October 25 at Beasley Field. The Whitecaps as well as the BCSA will be in attendance to scout players for Super Y-League, as well as for Whitecaps FC and BCSA programs. Already, 200 athletes have registered for the evaluation.
