Aspiring young Lethbridge soccer players had the unique opportunity to learn skills from a local player with an impressive resumé.
Nik Ledgerwood has played the sport at the highest levels and recently returned home to inspire the next generation of soccer talent.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play professionally for the last 16 years,” he said. “I’ve played 13 years abroad in Germany.”
After spending years on a different continent, Ledgerwood decided to move back to his home country and continue to play the sport he loves closer to home.
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“I’m born and raised in Lethbridge,” he said. “Any chance I can get to give back to where I grew up or where I played, if it fits into the time frame that I have, I love to give back.”
He now lives in Calgary and plays for Cavalry FC, a professional club founded in 2018.
“With the new league — the Canadian Premier League that [is] going to start this spring — [and] Cavalry, the team out of Calgary, there’s going to be seven teams across Canada [that give] kids in Lethbridge, kids across Canada the opportunity to play professional soccer here,” he said.
It’s a major reason why Ledgerwood took time to meet with the young athletes.
“I have the opportunity to bring back all my experiences and knowledge that I learned overseas and to share some of it with the kids here, the next generation who are aspiring to be professional soccer players.”
For 13-year-old U15 LCF Gunners soccer player Owen Lauzon, this was an opportunity he took seriously, paying close attention to Ledgerwood’s lessons.
“It’s amazing to learn from somebody with so much experience because they can share their knowledge with all the young children who have so much potential,” Lauzon said.
“Lethbridge isn’t a big city, but now having him, it’s so nice how soccer is going in Canada.”
Ledgerwood spent the training session working with about 100 players and he plans to return within the next few months.
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