Mike Ross - Founder of Lethbridge Walking Soccer
Mike Ross is the founder of the Walking Soccer program running out of Lethbridge, AB. As someone with lifelong experience with being involved with soccer, he sat down to share his thoughts on walking soccer.
On his introduction to walking soccer…
I went to England, as you can guess that’s my heritage, in 2016 for a funeral. One of my brothers said “Oh, do you want to come and play walking football?” Of course, over there it's walking football. And I went, “What is it?” - “Well, it's football, but you walk.” I went well, OK, it sounds kind of lame, but yeah, let's go. I went and played with that group, I was there for two weeks, I think I've played 3 or 4 times. Then last year, 2022, I was back in England again and the same brother, who had since moved, we went and played another three or four times then. The first time around I had said, you know, I should do this. I should start this when I get home. But at that point I was working. I've since retired, and so this time I came back and got a hold of some people who are with the Lethbridge Soccer Association that I know and said, “hey, have you guys ever heard of walking soccer?” and “no, what's all [this] about?” and so we did some advertising and that was my introduction to the sport and how I came to be playing it now.
On playing “walking” soccer after “regular” soccer…
I had a hip replacement in November of 2021. I mean for about eight or nine months of 2021 [before the operation], I was walking with a cane, so I thought my whole soccer days were all over. Four months after having that hip replacement, I was playing walking soccer. That was a selling point for me and that's what really motivated me. I enjoyed it and [soccer is] a sport I've followed, watched and played most of my life. When I first came to Canada I played soccer and so yeah, [this sport], it's just part of my blood.
I’ve really enjoyed the experience and of course, as I'm finding now, guys who are joining us, they go well “I'm just going to come and try it out” and they keep coming back. It's 10 minutes into a game, it's like holy moly, you know, cause of course - I say to them, yeah, it's not strolling football, it's walking, and so you put some effort into it and it does get your heart rate up.