By Abayomi Charles Roberts in Edmonton, AB. August 12, 2024.

BTB Soccer Academy held a free session of football drills and games in Edmonton, Canada, on Saturday 10 August 2024. It was open to children between the ages of three and 17 years. The outdoor event took place at ME LaZerte School, and it marked the eleventh anniversary of the BTB organization. 

Clad in their respective team colours, the children were organized into age groups. Then, led by their respective coaches, each group stretched and flexed at paces to suit the cohort. After the warm-up exercises, the players were sorted into teams. Finally, the games began. All this, with a focus on the children having fun. “We want the parents to relax and watch their children enjoy physical activity,” Kondeh assured one anxious mother. Indeed, BTB Day was more like a soccer picnic. 

The event gives a glimpse into the remarkable growth of an initiative conceived and applied by Kondeh Mansaray, a Sierra Leonean-Canadian who now calls Edmonton home. He started it with his wife Nyange and a few friends who were also sport enthusiasts. The programme initially focused on children in the Sierra Leonean community. Today BTB Soccer Academy, along with its club component, serves children from all backgrounds. BTB Soccer Club is registered with two of the biggest amateur soccer leagues in the city; Edmonton and District Soccer Association (EDSA) and Edmonton Minor Soccer Association (EMSA).

BTB celebrated its first anniversary in August 2014. The Guest of Honour was the then Mayor of Edmonton, Don Iveson. Edmonton’s First Gentleman at the time expressed delight at Kondeh Mansaray’s community initiative. He acknowledged the programme as a ‘’building block’’ that helps to make Edmonton more inclusive, healthier, and a more successful city. 

“We look forward to celebrating ten years, 20 years, 25 years with you,’’ Iveson said at the time. ‘’Because it is wonderful to see young people given the chance to compete and to play.’’

Eleven years on, the organization has evolved into a formidable entity in Canada’s organized sports scene. ‘’We soccer dads and moms count on BTB for our children,’ one parent hollered heartily as the children played in the lush grass. 

Among the key figures at Saturday's event was Dennis Kanjia Allie. Now 15 years old, Kanjia was about four when he joined the BTB programme. Now he volunteers as a BTB junior coach. His parents are Sierra Leonean-Canadians Thomas and Denisiah Allie. 

Soccer dad Thomas Allie (aka TeeKay) was at Saturday’s event. He summed it up quite well. ‘’Kanjia is growing just as fast as our very own BTB,’’ he beamed proudly. ‘’And we have Coach Kondeh and his team to thank for their hard work and diligence.’’ 

Saturday’s event lasted from 10am to 1pm. 

Parents and guardians only had to bring their children/wards dressed for sports. BTB provided footballs and other match equipment and training accessories. Refreshments were free as well. Volunteers serving as coaches and attendants were all friendly and patient with the children. Together, they made the atmosphere even more welcoming. 

It was balmy, and warming up fast, by mid-morning when the event started. BTB had set up a tent nearby, in anticipation of the summer weather. The BTB cool-down station was well stocked with water and other refreshments. Next to this re-hydration tent was a bouncy castle. It was brought in to lift the spirits of children who might get bored. 

The organizers billed the event as a Soccer Day; titled ‘BTB Day: Free Kick, Try It.’ A flyer, sent out to parents in Edmonton and area, invited all children including those who are “New to Canada, Edmonton, and/or Soccer.”

Among the volunteers were coaches, trainers, and attendants. They included Coaches Hilaire Kamdem, Eddie Amega, Mike Durodola, and Peter Makanga. Both Mariya Dunaeva and Andreas (Andy) Shilin were in attendance as well. Mariya who helped at the re-hydration station is the BTB Office Administrator. Andy is Director of Female Soccer. 

One other key host was Pius Ishiekwene, the current Technical Director and one of the founding volunteers. Pius is the son of Martha Sellu, a proactive volunteer in the Sierra Leonean community herself. Martha helped circulate the event flyer among families in the community, several days earlier.

Nyange Mansaray (Kondeh’s wife) brought their two children to the event. Seven-yearold Lilian and her brother Zion, 3, were both dressed in their bright red BTB colours. In 2019, Kondeh Mansaray and his BTB team were recognized with a ‘’Mano River Union award’’ in Edmonton, Alberta. This accolade was part of the ‘1st Joint Sierra Leone & Liberia Annual Community Merit Awards.’ 

According to Kondeh, BTB stands for ‘’Born-to-Be....’’