ABOUT OUR CLUB
Our Mission: Why We Exist
Our mission at West Hills United Soccer Club is to provide all players with a great soccer experience: the opportunity to pursue excellence in soccer at both a recreational and competitive level from U10 to U18. We promote player success through strong skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, respect and perseverance with a desire to develop a lifelong love and enjoyment of “the beautiful game”.
Why WHU?
We pride ourselves on being a well-organized and affordable program, where all players/members have a positive experience, build valuable skills, and are treated respectfully and fairly.
We provide Club-trained head coaches for all CMSA teams, supported by volunteer parent coaches and team managers (comprehensive training provided for all volunteers).
We welcome all players of any skill level, and we give them the opportunities and tools to enjoy this ‘beautiful game’ that we all love.
We value and nurture our Minis and Juniors age groups, and truly deliver an enjoyable early (or first!) soccer experience for young players. All Minis programs are led by experienced WHU Staff Youth Coaches.
We support nearby community clubs (U10 House League and younger) that are our foundation for attracting and developing players.
We are developing strong competitive and recreational programs that support each other and our club’s reputation in the city.
We provide meaningful and challenging programming and teams for all skill and age levels, as well as training and communication support groups for all volunteers.
We’re all about developing people and role models in our sport. We want our coaches, officials and volunteers to be well-trained, feel highly supported, and have an opportunity to contribute and to learn in an accepting, respectful, and open environment.
Our Values: How We Do Things
ATHLETES FOR LIFE: We create memorable, meaningful and positive life experiences through soccer; where players develop life skills: passion, commitment, friendship, self-esteem, self-discipline, integrity, and responsibility through our programs
INCLUSIVENESS: We provide – to the best of our ability – the opportunity for every child to play regardless of financial status
SPORTSMANSHIP: “Doing the right thing” and “being a good sport” are the rules both in victory and defeat. We are about developing good role models in our sport (players, coaches, referees, club leaders and volunteers)
TEAMWORK: We work together – on and off the field – to develop skills, fitness and fun for our kids and grow the game in our communities and city. We recognize that it takes a team of people working together develop strong players and a strong club.
RESPECT: We treat everyone with dignity both in what we say and what we do. We value the diverse opinions, thoughts, experiences and perspectives that every member brings to the club. Our decisions and actions consider the impact on others AND support the mission and mandate of our club.
Our Club’s History: A Strong Foundation in Community Clubs
West Hills United Soccer Club (WHU) was founded in 2013 with the aim of providing more competitive soccer for older age groups (U10 to U18) in the west part of Calgary. The partnership with community clubs (including Signal Hill Soccer and Triwest Soccer clubs) would allow the community clubs to develop the fundamental skills for younger soccer players (U4 – U10) using our “house league” programs.
This has allowed WHU to develop a larger base and more teams to participate in the Calgary Minor Soccer Association leagues (U7-U19 CMSA teams). The community clubs and WHU operate on a non-compete basis, and we are able to offer the opportunity of playing soccer to many more players this way.
Volunteers
West Hills United Soccer is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization that relies on volunteers in order to provide quality soccer training to our members at a reasonable cost. While our organization is supported by paid staff, volunteers are the foundation of our organization and we cannot operate without them.
One volunteer fee per family will be charged at the beginning of the season (outdoor or indoor). Volunteer opportunities will come up throughout the season, including coaching and team managing roles, casino shifts, equipment organizing, etc. At the end of each soccer season, those parents who volunteered in some capacity will be refunded their volunteer fee.
Volunteering as part of the coaching or managing team will fulfill the volunteer requirement for all players in the program.
Doing lines or net set up more than 5 times during a season will also count towards your club level volunteering.
It is important to distinguish between club level and team level duties. All parents are expected to participate at the team level and are encouraged to discuss their fulfillment of this obligation with their child’s team manager.
Registrants will be able to express interest in a board or committee position during registration, however, this will not guarantee a committee or board position. Positions will be filled based on needs and abilities and may also be subject to a vote at an AGM.