A number of boys and girls Kootenay South Youth Soccer Association teams were at Millennium Park practicing this week, in anticipation of the last tournament of the year.
David Grantham, a member of the executive with the KSYSA said this is the last tournament for the rep teams and nine regional teams were expected to make the trip to Sandpoint, ID.
The tournament runs Saturday and Sunday and Grantham said there are hundreds of teams descending on Bonner County's soccer fields.
"This is the kind of example I try to talk to people about," said Grantham. "You go to Sandpoint on this weekend and wow; what this tournament does for the economy is incredible. Hotel rooms were booked up there about six months ago. This is the kind of thing we would love to bring to Castlegar."
Grantham said there was a lot on the horizon with soccer in the Kootenays and he is excited for the future in light of recent announcements from the Vancouver Whitecaps regarding their fall Kootenay Prospects Academy.