John and Adelaine Traverse

You’ve probably noticed the colourful children adorned in their soccer jerseys on their way to fields in May and June, have kids playing, or maybe you even coach a team or run a division! With nearly 400 kids involved in youth soccer each year, the breadth of its reach must be community wide. While there are numerous individuals yearly that get this league off the ground, it is John and Adelaine Traverse who have been at the helm for 13 years.

John and Adelaine have been married for 27 years and raised three beautiful girls.. John is originally from Newfoundland but was attracted to Fernie as his brother lived here and he was looking for work. He got into surveying and then moved on to the mines, where he worked for eight years. When the mine shut down he decided to go to school for appliance repair, which he continues to do today. Adelaine on the other hand was born in Fernie, a third generation local as her grandma was born in Cokato. After school she went to the University of Victoria where she received a degree in teaching. When she came home, she met John and the rest is history. With all three of their daughters graduated from High School, John and Adelaine admit that time has flown by.

Soccer has always been a passion for John and Adelaine and their family. John became involved in Youth Soccer 25 years ago. Adelaine’s sister Grace Hughes had three young boys at the time, and her husband Thomas was working in the Crowsnest Pass. John volunteered to coach their eldest son Nick’s team, and as the Hughes boys grew and John and Adelaine had children of their own, they were always coaching, going through the kids. “ We love the fact that everyone can play the game, it’s inexpensive and open to everyone. And it’s a game for all skill levels,” they say.

400 kids each year seems like a daunting task, but John and Adelaine say that it’s easy to get people to help out, especially at the younger divisions. “It gets more difficult as the kids get older and the skill level goes up. Parents aren’t as comfortable coaching,” says Adelaine. “We’ve been so fortunate as there are a lot of young adults who’ve gone through Youth Soccer that have come home for the summer and are very willing to give back to the system,” she adds.

John and Adelaine acknowledge that they wouldn’t be able to pull this together without help. “There are a lot of people involved - more than 32 coaches, an executive, individuals in charge of coordinating divisions - doing as much work as we do. Our work is in the beginning setting everything up - they’re the ones that do all the work from then on. And these people have been with us from the beginning,” they humbly say.

John and Adelaine have no intentions of stopping soon as they enjoy the process. “Taking care of the fields is good exercise,” Adelaine says. And with so much support from the City and the hope of a new field at Max Turyk school, there is excitement for the future of Youth Soccer. Thanks to John and Adelaine and the many others that make soccer possible for the youth of Fernie!

1. When did you arrive in Fernie and what brought you here? J. 1979 from Newfoundland for work. A. Born and raised. Came back, met my husband at the car wash and ended up staying!
2. Where did you first live in Fernie? I a the little yellow house with the slanted floors on 3rd Avenue when we got married. It was just torn down!
3. What was your first impression? J. I arrived at night when I first got here, and the next morning – the mountains. I grew up on the ocean so it was shocking. A. I remember the four seasons as a kid in Fernie. You could almost write on your calendar the day fall would arrive!
4. What keeps you in Fernie? Family and lifestyle, definitely. Is there a better or more beautiful place? Nah.
5. Do you have a favourite Fernie memory? A. There’s so many, it’s hard when you’ve lived here for 50 years. I like to tell the girls that I walked home from school along the snow banks, and you could stop and sit on the stop signs to take a break the banks were so high! J. I think watching the sun come up on the Three Sisters in the morning. I do it every morning… if it’s not raining or snowing!
6. What is your favourite time of the year in Fernie and why? J. Not as much now as it was, but August and September because it’s still warm but it’s getting cooler and you’re going to go from fishing to hunting. A. I don’t know if I have a favourite season. I love the fall because it’s so pretty and crisp and the smells, and I like running that time of the year.
7. Where do you see Fernie in 5 to 10 years? A. I don’t know, but I would like to see it stay like this. A few more services, like the water park for kids. Make what we have better without getting too much bigger or busier. J. In five years, I would still really enjoy walking down Second Avenue and seeing people that I know!
8. How do you start your day or what is one of your daily rituals? J. Cup of coffee, looking out the window, and watch the sun cup up on the Three Sisters. A. I get up, have coffee, make lunches, and head to work. While he’s in the chair watching the sun come up.
9. Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you. A. That I’m actually really funny, but only around people I’m comfortable around. J. That I’m from a family of 11 kids!