Saints Forward
Building the future of Spruce Grove soccer.
A community initiative to secure dedicated indoor space and professional coaching for the Spruce Grove Saints Soccer Association.
Learn More
Building the future of Spruce Grove soccer.
A community initiative to secure dedicated indoor space and professional coaching for the Spruce Grove Saints Soccer Association.
Learn MoreImagine a dedicated indoor facility where our teams practice year-round on real turf. A place where professional coaching staff set the standard across all age groups. A club that develops players from mini to premier with consistency and quality.
Picture a community gathering place for tournaments, camps, and events. A facility where our kids aren't competing for field time with three other municipalities, where practice schedules are designed for player development instead of determined by whatever slots happen to be available.
This isn't a fantasy. Other EMSA clubs have made this happen. Clubs just like ours—community organizations built by volunteers, serving young families in growing Alberta towns. It's our turn.
Other EMSA clubs have done this. It's our turn.
A dedicated indoor soccer facility for SGSA
Year-round turf access, consistent practice schedules, and a home for our club to grow.
At least two permanent coaching positions
Professional leadership to elevate player development and support our volunteer coaches.
The facts speak for themselves. No opinions, no blame—just the reality.
Tri Leisure Centre has just 2 indoor fields serving 65,000+ people across three municipalities. SGSA shares this space with Stony Plain, Parkland County, and other sports. Many of our players don't touch turf until their first competitive game.
Spruce Grove's population is 44,575 today, growing at 3.4% per year. 21.6% are under 14 (well above the national average). Projected indoor registrations: 1,300–2,000+ by 2029. The space crunch will only get worse.
SGSA spends approximately $200,000 every year on Tri Leisure Centre rental. That's $1M over 5 years. Zero equity. Zero control. That money could service a loan, fund a dome, and leave room for coaching staff.
Most EMSA clubs have more indoor practice time than SGSA. Our teams enter league play with fewer practices and less turf exposure. This isn't a coaching problem—it's an access problem.
Alberta just gave $1.5M to the Edmonton Soccer Dome (Feb 2026). Provincial funding appetite is real. CFEP grants (up to $1M) are available. Air-supported domes cost $2.5M–$6M—this is achievable.
An air-supported dome can be operational in 9–15 months from decision to doors open. This isn't a decade-long dream. Other clubs have done it. The EMSA Soccer Complex secured a $1/year land lease from Parkland County. This has been done.
This isn't just a wish list. There's a real, researched plan.
An air-supported dome over a full-size turf field, dedicated to SGSA.
Spruce Grove or Parkland County (site to be determined). Potential options include placing a dome over the existing Fuhr Sports Park artificial turf field for the fastest, lowest-cost path.
$2.5M–$6M for a complete dome project (structure + field + site prep). Potentially as low as $2.5M–$4M if over an existing field.
A realistic funding stack:
9–15 months from decision to operational. Dome installation is 3–4 months; permitting and site prep are the longer lead items.
This has been done:
At least 2 full-time coaching positions—a Technical Director and a Head Coach/Player Development Lead.
Volunteer coaches are incredible, but they need support. A professional coaching team sets the standard for training methodology, evaluates and develops players consistently across all age groups, and mentors volunteer coaches so the whole program levels up.
Right now, limited practice time means many players don't touch turf until their first match. Professional coaching can only reach its potential with adequate indoor training space.
Approximately $120K–$150K per year for two positions (consistent with Alberta community club norms).
Edmonton Scottish United, EMSA West, Edmonton Strikers, St. Albert Impact FC, and dozens of other EMSA clubs have paid technical staff. SGSA's own bylaws already establish the Executive Director as a paid position. This is normal.
This is a community initiative. Here's how you can help make it happen.
The first step is awareness. Share this website in your team group chats. Talk to other SGSA parents. Help spread the word.
Show up and ask questions about indoor facility planning. Member engagement matters. Your presence signals that this is a priority for SGSA families.
Check the SGSA official website for meeting dates and times.
If you have expertise in construction, real estate, law, finance, grant writing, fundraising, or project management, we need you.
Contact: hello@saintsforward.ca
We're with you, not against you. This initiative exists because we believe SGSA can be one of the best clubs in Alberta—and we want to help make that happen.
If you'd like to discuss any of the research or plans on this site, we'd welcome the conversation. Let's build this together.
Contact: hello@saintsforward.ca