Honouring Lynn Gregory and Michelle Upright

By Ken Lucki

One thing that all parents who have children participating in minor league sports naturally presume is that when they go to watch them compete, the venue is at the ready for safe participation in the sport being played and there are trained officials to oversee the competition.

Of course, they hope that the coach is properly trained and knows how to fulfill their child’s best interests in enjoying the game. When you stop and think of all the logistics it takes to organize the many tasks that have to be completed for that minor league event to occur and not have any failures, you begin to realize it takes a group of highly organized individuals to make it all happen. Consider the fact that you also want these individuals to do all of this out of the goodness of their hearts. In other words, volunteer their time and abilities.

Well, these unsung heroes are the directors of the minor league sports that young children participate in. When it comes to community and club level minor soccer, Lynn Gregory and Michelle Upright are a dynamic duo of directors for the South East Edmonton Storm and community minor soccer.

Unlike some sports, soccer is played year-round because no sooner does the outdoor season end when the indoor season begins. Lynn and Michelle, therefore, have the twice-a-year challenge of organizing teams for all age levels, boys and girls divisions, and find enough coaches and referees to make everybody happy.

To further appreciate the challenge these women have taken on, Lynn and Michelle organize 21 community level teams and six club teams.

They also have to make sure that there are enough uniforms and equipment for each participant and team, and we can’t forget about organizing team and individual photos. Or what about this annual long weekend soccer tournament they have to organize?

Did I forget to mention that these two ladies are mothers who also have careers? Lynn has been a director since 2001, while Michelle became a director in 2005. Michelle also helped coach teams since 2004. The two of them make sure that all children are welcome to participate, especially those who come from families that cannot afford registration fees, in which case, South East Soccer covers the costs.

As you can see, both Lynn and Michelle make sure, as a parent, you can safely assume your child is in good hands when they play soccer for South East. Their dedication is worthy of appreciation, because without the unselfish giving of their talents, minor soccer for our youth would not happen as seamlessly as it does here in Edmonton.

If you want to share some of your skills and time out of the goodness of your heart, get involved! Minor sports are always looking for more unsung heroes.