The origin of a minor soccer program in Bracebridge can be traced back to 1975, when a high school teacher convinced a couple of university students to coach a newly formed boys soccer team. That first summer, the new team ventured as far as Gravenhurst to play games. Soccer had first been introduced to the community through the high school physical education program some years earlier, and it was
a group of teachers that spearheaded the formation of the initial minor soccer organization, and developed a solid house league program for the youth of the community during the 1980’s. The surge in popularity of soccer began to really take hold in Bracebridge over the past five years. In 1995, there were 228 players registered in Bracebridge Minor Soccer. With an increased emphasis on promoting the game and developing a strong coaching program, the numbers grew dramatically, surpassing 500 players by 1997. In late 1997, the current Bracebridge Soccer organization was formed to combine the local adult teams with the minor program, and last year there about 625 youth players and another 125 adult players registered. Not surprisingly, the availability of adequate soccer fields was lagging behind the demand. In 1999, the addition of two new fields, at a temporary location, allowed soccer to continue to grow. Almost 700 children registered in the House League program, and an additional 125 young people played on 8 competitive teams playing in the Simcoe County League. With the competitive and recreational adult teams, there were close to 900 players in Bracebridge Soccer programs this year.
