Okanagan Challenge is a Canadian soccer team based in Kelowna, British Columbia

Kelowna, British Columbia

Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Founded in 1995, the team plays in Pacific Coast Soccer League

Pacific Coast Soccer League

The Pacific Coast Soccer League is a soccer league featuring teams from British Columbia, although the league has also featured teams from Washington in the past as well...

 (PCSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid

American Soccer Pyramid

The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...

, which features teams from western Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...

 region of the United States of America.

The team plays its home matches in the Apple Bowl

Apple Bowl

The Apple Bowl is a multi-purpose stadium located at the Parkinson Recreation Area in Kelowna, British Columbia. It is the home of the Okanagan Sun of the Canadian Junior Football League and the Okanagan Challenge of the Pacific Coast Soccer League. Besides hosting field events, it has a rubberized...

 at the Parkinson Recreation Area, where they have played since 1995. The team's colors are red, black and white.

The logo was created in 1995 by the artists Paul Halonen and Russel Miller of Clayton Artistic Design.

History

The club was founded in 1989 as a registered not-for-profit society with the aim of providing a level of senior soccer not previously available in Kelowna.

The team competes in the Pacific Coast Soccer League which is, arguably, the top echelon of amateur soccer in Western Canada. In the club’s first twenty years we are proud of several achievements – finalists in the 1995 play-offs, league champions and play-off winners in 1997 and 1998, finalists 2004 play-offs and semi-finalists in 2005. In its twentieth year the Challenge won the regular 2009 PCSL season title, the post-season title and the John F. Kennedy Cup. The Kennedy Cup is a tournament between the best British Columbia, Oregon and Washington State mens teams. In 1998 the Challenge was chosen as Kelowna’s Athletic Team of the Year, and runner-up in 2010 at the Kelowna Civic Awards.

The club has been involved in summer soccer camps for many hundreds of youth players almost every year since 1992.

Well known players and coaches of the team have included Ian Bridge, Shaun Lowther, Pat Onstad and Rob Friend, who have all been Canadian National Soccer Team members.

The team usually comprises ten to fifteen local, talented players augmented by four to seven players from out of town.

Current Roster

as of July 24 2011

Notable former players

Rob Friend

Rob Friend

Rob Friend is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2nd Bundesliga.-Early years:...

 Ian Bridge

Ian Bridge

Ian Christopher Bridge is a former member of the Canada men's national soccer team and last head coach of the national women's Under-17 national team.-Club career:...

 Shaun Lowther

Shaun Lowther

Shaun Lowther is a former Canadian national soccer team defender who spent five seasons in the North American Soccer League. He is currently an executive of a youth soccer club in Calgary.-Professional:...

 Pat Onstad

Pat Onstad

Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

 Marty Johnston Chad Smith

Chad Smith (soccer)

Chad Smith is an American soccer player who currently plays for Charlotte Eagles in the USL Professional Division.-College:Smith played college soccer at Midwestern State University from 2003 to 2006...

 Brandon Swartzendruber

Brandon Swartzendruber

Brandon Swarzendruber is an American soccer player who currently plays for Thunder Bay Chill in the USL Premier Development League.-College and Amateur:...

 Clint Schneider

Year-by-year

{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Division
!League
!Reg. Season
!Playoffs
!Open Canada Cup
|-
|1995
|4
|PCSL
|2nd
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|1996
|4
|PCSL
|4th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|1997
|4
|PCSL
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|1998
|4
|PCSL
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|1999
|4
|PCSL
|4th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2000
|4
|PCSL
|5th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2001
|4
|PCSL
|on hiatus
|
|
|-
|2002
|4
|PCSL
|7th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2003
|4
|PCSL
|9th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2004
|4
|PCSL
|4th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2005
|4
|PCSL
|3rd, South
|Did not qualify
|Did not qualify
|-
|2006
|4
|PCSL
|9th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2007
|4
|PCSL
|6th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2008
|4
|PCSL
|10th
|
|Did not qualify
|-
|2009
|4
|PCSL
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions!
|-
|2010
|4
|PCSL
|3rd
|2nd
|
|
|-
|2011
|4
|PCSL
|4th
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st
|

Honors

• Sheila Anderson Memorial (Challenge) Cup Winners 2011
• John F. Kennedy Trophy (Kennedy Cup) Winners 2009
• Sheila Anderson Memorial (Challenge) Cup Winners 2009
• PCSL Champions 2009
• PCSL Champions 1998
• PCSL Champions 1997
• Sheila Anderson Memorial (Challenge) Cup Winners 1998
• Sheila Anderson Memorial (Challenge) Cup Winners 1997

External links

• Official Website of the Okanagan Challenge