Originally printed in the Stratford Times on August 25th:
Three Stratford walking soccer players representing Canada in October
SPENCER SEYMOUR
Times Regional Reporter
Three members of the Stratford Sloths Walking Soccer Club will represent Canada at the Oct. 21-31 International Walking Soccer World Nations Cup in Torrevieja, Spain.
Dan Festoso, Andrew Hilton and Jorge Mota, who all play walking soccer in Stratford, were selected to play for three Canadian national squads competing at the international championship tournament later this year.
Festoso, who is suiting up for the 60s men’s team, described his entry into the sport, which has only just begun to gain some traction.
“I thought it was a crazy idea to be walking around playing soccer,” Festoso admitted. “I played soccer all my lifeuntilItoremyACLinmy50s,soI didn’t play any soccer after that. When I got into my 60s, I was trying to figure out how to get more exercise, and my buddies were bugging me about trying walking soccer, and I kept saying no, but realizing I was out of shape and with my wife’s encouragement I decided to give it a shot, and now I absolutely love it.”
Walking soccer is played with altered rules from running soccer, with the most visibly notable being that players are limited to heel-to-toe walking rather than being able to run. Additionally, the ball cannot be sent more than two metres high, and the field is smaller than traditional soccer pitches.
Festoso said the different nuances of walking soccer make it an intriguing alternative for those not looking for the hyper-competitive adult league-level soccer that may include people in their 20s and 30s, while keeping the element of staying active.
“I get a great workout from it, and it really changes the game,” said Festoso. “You have to be a lot more accurate playing walking soccer because in traditional soccer, you can put the ball into a space while your teammate runs to that space. But when you’re walking, that guy can’t get to that space as fast, so you’ve got to be a lot more accurate. It gives guys who can’t play the running game anymore a chance to stay active and keep playing soccer.”
Hilton, who was selected to be part of the 50s men’s squad, echoed the sentiments of finding a renewed passion for the game after playing traditional soccer stopped being a pastime for him.
“I played soccer for all my life, even as an adult, wherever I lived, and during the pandemic. Like a lot of sports, it became difficult to find a means to play soccer. I had heard through a friend that there are a bunch of guys getting together to play walking soccer, and I was happy to try it because I missed the sport and I missed playing with other people. The most important thing to me was that it was fun.
“It just became something I looked forward to doing every week and also connected with a great bunch of people who are playing, some of whom I played with
when I was a kid,” Hilton continued. “There is one guy who I played with on the first team I was ever on when I was five years old. It’s a fairly low-impact way to get very good exercise, and you do get your heart rate up a fair bit.”
Jorge Mota will wear the jersey as part of Canada’s 70s men’s roster, and described how soccer being a constant presence throughout his life led him to embracing the game in his current stage of his life. “I used to play running soccer since I
was a kid in Brazil. I never played professional soccer back in Brazil. When I came to Canada, soccer wasn’t a priority, as I had to take my exams and work to get my medical licence. It took me more than five years to do that. Moved to Stratford in 2004, got settled, and after a couple of years, I found Sandy (Marcaccio). He was an Italian guy who used to organize the running soccer for us soccer lovers.
“I think we started playing walking soccer a couple of years ago,” added Mota. “It came from Peter Mitchell and Graham Bunting. Most of us were playing running soccer, and to me, it was a little weird. Later, I decided to stay with the group and learn the rules. I guess we are still learning the rules. Now, we are playing better, and because of the group, I started getting to like more and more the game of walking soccer.”
Mota further explained the pride he feels in representing the country he has called home for more than 25 years.
“I came to Canada in 1999 with my wife and my two kids,” Mota told the Times. “Canada, to me, represents my ideal place to live. Representing Canada in any way makes me feel very proud. I am going to enjoy each and every minute of the time I am wearing my Canadian shirt.”
Hilton added his similar feelings about playing for Canada on the international stage.
“It’s fantastic, even though it’s a sport that not many people have ever heard of, to be picked to play for your country is fantastic and I feel super proud and super honoured,” Hilton said. “We’re all paying our own way to go to this. There is no sponsorship or government money sending us. I’m just very excited to put on a uniform with the maple leaf on it and play against other countries.”
Festoso recalled receiving the notification that he had indeed been chosen for the Canadian national team and his reaction of pleasant surprise.
“Going through it all, I was trying to keep it light and fun,” said Festoso. “But then, when I got the phone call that I had been selected for the team, my initial reaction was, ‘Holy cow, this feels like a pretty big deal.’ It’s no longer just a group of guys hanging out on a Wednesday night, kicking the ball around and having some fun. This is a pretty big opportunity, and we’re still keeping light and fun, but it’s definitely a big honour to represent Canada, which I never anticipated I would experience.”
Looking ahead, Hilton detailed the Stratford Walking Soccer Club’s plans to grow the local league in the near future.
“We are going to really ramp up our efforts in the fall to attract new players, get out in the community, and try to strengthen and grow the sport,” Hilton noted. “I think Stratford punches above its weight compared to some other clubs out there. We applied for a provincial grant and got some money, which we’re using to buy more equipment and start a website so we can send people to a place where they can learn about the game and see when we play, and really get people to understand the benefits of the sport.”
The benefits of walking soccer, according to Mota, are vast and plentiful.
“This is a sport that anyone can practice, at any age, and it is a wonderful way to get together and to make new friends,” Mota said. “You get to see the players so often that you create a bond, which is great for your mental health and physical health as well. More important than anything to me is to show older people that there is another sport they can try to get fit and make new friends.”
Readers can help the three Stratford residents and all of the Canadian national team players cover the costs of paying their way to the tournament in Spain by donating to a GoFundMe campaign created to support the team. The link for the fundraising campaign is https://tinyurl.com/25nfz9ab.
