NAIT hosts preseason soccer tournament with donation drive for Sport Central

The NAIT Ooks are collecting soccer equipment for Sport Central at Millenium Place in Sherwood Park this weekend. (Sean McClune / CTV News Edmonton)

NAIT is hosting a women’s soccer tournament this weekend, which includes a donation drive for a local sports charity.

The first-ever Ooks Invitational Exhibition Series – a preseason tournament including several western Canada programs – started on Thursday and runs until Sunday at Millenium Place in Sherwood Park.

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NAIT Ooks women’s soccer team coach Dhee Govender organized the event and told CTV News Edmonton it will be a great opportunity for teams to get ready for the upcoming season.

“We’ve got a pretty great recruiting class this year with seven players that are brand new to our team, so it gets us to integrate some of our recruits in before we get into our regular season. And also gets us really, really concentrating on some of the game models that we want to be able to play throughout the year.”

The tournament also includes a donation drive for Sport Central, a charity that provides sport equipment to children whose families are facing financial hardship.

People are encouraged to bring soccer equipment like balls, shoes and shin pads.

“We’re really, really looking to see how we can give back to the community,” Govender said. “It’s very, very important for us as a varsity program at NAIT to be able to recognize that we can be a part of something bigger than just the sport that we play.”

NAIT will also take cash donations through a QR code for Sport Central.