Joe Acorn said he had an easy answer for a moment he鈥檒l never forget as the founder of the Yellowknife Bay Soccer Club, better known as the Sundogs.

鈥淭here used to be an Edmonton city championship for underage girls,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 took down my underage girls. And we went down and there鈥檚, like, 70 teams in this tournament and our little team from Yellowknife, a community of 18,000, won the Edmonton city championship. The best underage girls team in Edmonton that year was actually from Yellowknife.鈥�

That dates back to 2013, Acorn added. It鈥檚 a moment that shocked him, but also made him ecstatic.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the girls 鈥� they鈥檙e only seven or eight years old 鈥� they never quite realised the magnitude of what they actually did. But it was incredible for a little group from Yellowknife.鈥�

Now, the Sundogs continue to brighten peoples鈥� day, operating year-round, for both youth and adults.

The youngest in the program is about 16 months, said Acorn. It marks the start of the 鈥楽unpups鈥� for the youngsters. Those now less than the age of five have their chance to play, too.

鈥淲e had some younger ones that were two and three whose parents just wanted to get them out,鈥� Acorn explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 basically an unstructured, uncoached program. So, we provide all the equipment and all the field time and parents can just come out and play with their little kids.鈥�

Acorn added that time is for having fun without having any pressure or any coaching. When they鈥檙e ready to move into the next, more advanced program for kids less than five, they can.

The club鈥檚 next birthday is this coming summer and the name 鈥楽undogs鈥� hits close to home, he added.

鈥淚 wanted something that reflected a little bit more of the fact that we鈥檙e from Yellowknife. And we鈥檙e in the North and Sundogs are something that you see in the 快盈v3 sky up here all the time,鈥� said Acorn. 鈥淚 just thought it was great. I love the name.鈥�

As for the club鈥檚 existence, it comes from the act of a parent first, and soccer fan second.

鈥淢y daughter was six years old, and there wasn鈥檛 a competitive development option here,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wanted there to be a skill development competitive pathway for her and my son when he got a little bit older as well.鈥�

Acorn鈥檚 daughter, Wren, didn鈥檛 keep up with soccer, making the move to speedskating instead. She鈥檚 now in Montreal working with the national speed skating program, he said. Still, what matters are the experiences.

鈥淕etting involved in soccer just develops them, in terms of their ability to travel and expose them to other cultures, other places, things like that. And I think that, besides the sporting side of it, that鈥檚 a really good benefit for the kids up here.鈥�

For Acorn, what matters now is legacy for this club.

鈥淚 want to be able to walk away from this and 20 years from now I want to see my grandkids playing and being a little sunpup,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want this to last, I want this to be something that鈥檚 enduring.鈥�

鈥擝y Devon Tredinnick