League1 BC Climbing In Numbers With Altitude FC Announcement
By League1 BC has announced the fourth of seven sides set to participate in its inaugural season come 2022, with Altitude FC being revealed today.
The newly-announced club will represent Vancouver’s North Shore and the surrounding Sea to Sky Country, with Altitude FC set to field both men’s and women’s teams that will play out of the picturesque Kinsmen Stadium.
Much like Kamloops’ Rivers FC, the club hopes to capture fan engagement beyond its immediate borders: outside of North Vancouver, Altitude FC hopes to garner support from West Vancouver, Deep Cove, and the sea-to-sky corridor too.
Club Representative Mark Marshall states that the North Shore Youth Soccer Association is one of the largest in the province, with the imminent arrival of a League1 BC team marking a rare opportunity for youth players and their families to support a local pathway to professional soccer.
Altitude FC aims to galvanize the competitive spirit found in our youth clubs, local colleges and universities, as well as players who have been forced to move away and play elsewhere, into one voice and team behind which the whole community can throw its support.
Mark Marshall
The semi-professional league in which Altitude FC calls home is set to begin its inaugural season next May, with BC Soccer implementing a high standards-based approach that will set training standards and roster requirements to bolster local growth for football in the province.
Related: Six Big Things To Know About League1 BC
Altitude FC has looked sharp in its first steps, revealing a polished website, clean crest, and an ambition that leaves League1 BC Director of Operations Gabriel Assis impressed:
We are overwhelmed by Altitude FC’s commitment and professional approach to League1 BC already and we are excited with the opportunity to bring this level of competition to all communities on the North Shore. I look forward to watch the club grow and prosper, creating more opportunities for all participants in the area.
Gabriel Assis
The colours of the club will be Cypress Blue, Grouse Grey, and Seymour Summit (white), with a crest that takes inspiration from its geographic roots: A minimalist badge shows the letter A taking form from the local mountains that Altitude FC calls home.
As we reported in January, the semi-professional side will operate in close conjunction with Faly Academy, with Faly Basse himself listed as the team’s technical lead.
We will provide more opportunities for young men and women with higher level aspirations to have the time and club-support to let them mature as footballers, as they transition from amateur to high-performance soccer. League1 BC balances the typical pressure to perform immediately found in most pro soccer leagues with the strong support and development environment of a semi-pro club that has players that straddle both the amateur and pro levels.
Faly Basse
With the Whitecaps in the playoffs, League 1 BC set to launch, and the Canadian Premier league announcing a Vancouver expansion team, it’s certainly boom period for soccer in British Columbia.
Altitude FC now joins the Vancouver Whitecaps, TSS Rovers, and Rivers FC as four of the first seven League1 BC license holders. The final three are expected to be revealed in the near future.