Through COVID and other challenges, London's street soccer club still kicking

Every Monday at 2 p.m., coach David Stickland calls his players together. 

In this weekly ritual he divides the group of about 20 adults into two teams, then sends them onto the floor for a few hours of friendly soccer scrimmage at the North London Optimist Community Centre. 

The group of adults who show up — it's a different mix of about 20 every time — aren't out to play in the pros or set a new scoring record. This is Street Soccer London, where everyone is welcome regardless of their background and no one pays to play.

"We take an 'everyone matters' approach," said Stickland, who started this group back in 2015. "The diversity ranges from people who have spent time in jail, people struggling with addiction, people who have mental challenges. Often it's people who are feeling alienated when they come here."

Once they get to the club, they feel anything but alienated.

Stan Jacques knows alienation. He joined the group back when it started, at a time when he was struggling to survive. 

"I was down and out, I almost committed suicide," he said. "I have depression and I'm also an alcoholic but I've been sober seven and a half months now. I have a more open mind. If it wasn't for David Stickland, I'd be rolling in my grave right now."

Jacques said the group gives him camaraderie and stability, two pillars that shore up his sobriety. 

Stickland started the group after hearing about similar street soccer organizations in other cities. The concept is the same: everyone is welcome to come and play in a space that is open and non-judgmental. 

He finds new players by spreading the word at local organizations who work with vulnerable people in London, including the Salvation Army, Canadian Mental Health Association, Mission Services, My Sisters Place and others.

A few of the players who turn up have been special Olympians in the past. 

Street soccer groups even have an annual national championship. London's team showed up for its first championship tournament six years ago. It was a bit of a rough start, the new group could only muster up three players to come to the tournament in Hamilton. Since then, more than 400 people have moved through the group.

"Not every community in Canada has an organization like this but I think everyone should," said Stickland. 

James Richards was told about London Street Soccer while he was in treatment at Parkwood Institute. He's been diagnosed as bi-polar and sometimes struggles to function in social situations. At Street Soccer, he's another member of the team. 

"I tagged along when I started to feel a little better after my release and I just continued to come, and it's been a real help," he said. 

Each player has a very different story. On the day when CBC News dropped in, the players included a transgender woman, a Sikh man in his 70s and a young man who fled to Canada after being a prisoner of war in Armenia. 

Not everyone in the group is dealing with a troubled past. 

London Police Service Const. Patti Costa is a regular at the group. 

She said she's learned a lot in her time with the club. She also believes that having a cop on the floor helps break down barriers between police and those who struggle on the streets. 

"A lot of these people have approached me and we've spoken candidly about their struggles in life," she said. "It's put a face and a name to the situations that we see on the street. A lot of them forget that I'm with the London police." 

The club plays indoors in winter and outside in the summer. Expenses such as snacks and equipment are covered through donations, while the city allows them to use the playing surface at a discount rate. 

Stickland hopes to club can stay running. 

"The stigma that needs to come down is that someone who is homeless is a threat," he said. "It never ceases to amaze me how an unlucky circumstance can put someone out on the street."