What most people know as a nice little patch of North Vancouver grass will be transformed into a community soccer festival Sunday (May 29) as the North Shore’s newest sports club hosts its first-ever home games.
That, at least, is the promise being made by the founders of Altitude FC, a soccer franchise kicking off their first season in League1 BC, a new elite soccer circuit featuring high-level semipro teams from across the province. Altitude FC is the North Shore’s entry in the seven-team league, playing their six home games on Sunday afternoons on the lush green grass of North Vancouver’s Kinsmen Field.
When the club’s men’s and women’s teams hit the pitch for the first home games May 29, spectators can expect to see some great soccer played in a fan-friendly environment in the heart of North Vancouver, said Altitude co-founder Mark Marshall.
“The field environment is going to be transformed on game day,” he said, adding that Kinsmen will be spruced up with new bleachers, a big new scoreboard, tents, flags, a bike valet, and the always popular beer garden. “What we're really trying to create here is that kind of more British community club feel where it's a small club right in the middle of the residential community, and you go and it's intimate, you're really close to the action. … It’ll be casual, relaxed, but with serious football on the pitch.”
And just who will be playing in the game? Altitude FC will feature men’s and women’s teams boasting elite players, many of whom grew up playing in North Shore clubs such as the North Shore Girls Soccer Club, North Van FC, and West Van FC. A number of players come from Capilano University’s strong soccer program, while others are playing club soccer in the province’s top amateur leagues or are playing at universities in Canada and the United States. The players almost all fall in the under-23 age category, with the league focusing on taking the best young players in the province and giving them a place to play as they work to move from the youth and university systems into the pro ranks.
The job of bringing all the North Shore talent together on both teams belongs to Faly Basse, a well-known name in local soccer circles who runs a successful youth academy based in North Vancouver. Basse, who is head coach of both the men’s and women’s Altitude FC teams, is well suited for the task of establishing a successful culture within the club, said Marshall.
“What Faly brings, first of all, is just a pure passion for football,” he said. “For him, it's not about winning and losing – Faly has always been about developing individual players and helping them achieve their goals.”
In a preseason conversation with the North Shore News, Basse didn’t want to highlight any standout players before the season began, but said players will have a chance to show their quality on the pitch while working together towards a common goal.
“I don't need one or two good players, I need a team to succeed. I need a team to be a unit and work together,” he said, adding that the teams are looking strong in the buildup to the first games.
“The foundation is there,” he said. “They have a desire to play for this club, for Altitude, and represent the North Shore, which is huge for me, because before getting onto the field to play, I believe that you need to know that you are playing for a badge, playing for a city – you are here to represent your city, you’re not here to play for yourself.
Basse added that the level of play should be a step above other amateur or university level soccer played in B.C., and he fully expects a strong showing from his teams.
“I’m a demanding guy,” he said. “When I start something, I will go 200 per cent on it. … I see Altitude FC to be in the top teams, and we will work hard to achieve that together.”
The teams opened the season Sunday on the road in Kamloops against Rivers FC. The women lost 2-0, while the men were leading much of the way, but gave up a penalty kick goal in the dying minutes for a 1-1 tie.
As for the club in general, Altitude FC’s goals go beyond the results on the scoreboard, said Marshall.
“We want to be the best club in League1,” he said. “And that doesn’t just mean wins and losses on the field. We want the players at the end of the season to walk away talking about what an incredible experience that was, to find a lot of value in it, and to go away better soccer players, go away with new friendships and relationships. We want them to come back the next couple of years, and we want them to tell people that this club took care of them and we have a great culture and it's community oriented.”
Starting a new club in a new league is a major undertaking full of challenges, but it will all be worth it if Altitude FC represents the North Shore well, said Marshall.
“The singular goal of the club is to be first class in every respect,” he said. “The people who have been working on this for the last four or five months have put hundreds of hours into this. We do it out of passion, not for financial reasons. We just want people to come and really enjoy themselves for the love of the game, and to be with their community and to support some teams in the club that they feel like they own. I'm excited. We're all excited.”
Altitude FC home openers
Where: Kinsmen Field, 1899 Jones Ave., North Vancouver
When: Sunday, May 29, 1 p.m. women and 3:30 p.m. men
Cost: $20 adult, $10 youth, with family passes and season passes available online
You can find more information on Altitude FC's website.
