The Drumheller Dragons announced on Thursday, July 7 they’ve hired Darryl Olsen as assistant coach for the 2016-17 season.

“I took my time; I had some very strong candidates for the position,” said Brian Curran. 

“I felt with a young team this year and what I’m trying to do I needed 

a little more experience and with Darryl that is what I get. Darryl not only has played the game at the highest level but he has been teaching skill development for the last several years and has had a lot of success in moving players to the highest level. I felt this was key for me this season as I want to have the right tools to help this team be successful and I feel Darryl will be a great addition to the Dragons.”

Olsen, an Alberta native, has an extensive background both as a coach and as a player (defense) at the Junior, NCAA, and American and European professional levels. Darryl and his family have resided in Salt Lake City for quite some time but are looking forward to the move back home to Alberta.

“I am very thankful that Brian Curran and the Drumheller Dragons are giving me the opportunity to join such a great organization. I take great pride in being a development coach focused on skills. I am very excited to have the opportunity to help develop this group of young players and watch them grow and have success during the season,” said Olsen.

The Drumheller Soccer Club is ready to put the shovel to the ground to build a clubhouse and is only waiting to meet with a local county who has agreed to provide groundwork for free.

The soccer association has been in need for facilities at their field in the Hy Grade Industrial Park and hopes to construct a clubhouse with washrooms, change rooms, and a concession by the end of this year.

A clubhouse would add convenience to both the home teams and visitors, improve the association’s ability to host tournaments, keep spectators at the fields rather than leaving to use a business’ washrooms, and eliminate the cost of maintaining the existing port-a-potties. 

Over $100,000 has been raised by the club’s volunteers for construction costs, and for work to begin, the board is only waiting to meet with Starland County, who has agreed to provide the groundwork on the project in-kind.

“We have lots of people willing to volunteer their time and help in-kind… it’s awesome for us to have (Starland) as a partnership and have them involved in the project,” said board member, fundraising coordinator, and treasurer Marnee Chapin.

Work is expected to begin in July and the shell of the building to be complete later this year. A deposit has already been paid to the construction company. Interior work like plumbing and drywalling will likely be provided in-kind by association members. 

“The plan is to get it done while we have the weather on our side,” said Chapin.

The Drumheller Soccer Club is in a unique situation compared to other clubs in the Big Country Soccer Association.  The Drumheller club owns and is responsible for maintaining their fields and for project costs. Clubs such as Three Hills and Hanna play on town owned land, where the town is responsible for maintenance and construction costs for bathrooms.

 Plans are also in the works for constructing team shelters for teams playing in extreme weather conditions.

The association will be hosting their annual Yuk Yuks comedy fundraisier in November, their biggest annual income generator. Bottle drives and barbecues are also planned in the coming months.