Farewell AFTN, Hello ABC

This is the end….

After 4.5 years, countless articles, numerous MLS and Residency games this will be my last article for AFTN.

During the past six months I have dedicated my free time to youth basketball in Aldergrove. I have started a non profit Aldergrove Basketball Club to provide gym times, games, and community volunteer opportunities for boys and girls between grades 5 and 12 in my local community. What started off as a dream hoping that we might get 20 kids a week out to open gyms has morphed into 130+ kids a week.

This has given Aldergrove an opportunity to put a competitive team in an Abbotsford Basketball Association league for fall and spring ball.

I started ABC as a place where kids have a free opportunity to play basketball. Too many schools charge kids to play sports in highschool gyms. Our club philosophy is that no kid should be charged to play sports, especially in a public highschool gym.

Throughout the past six months and the growth of ABC I have been offered a chance to coach the Aldergrove Community Secondary School Jr boys basketball team. This is a dream for me on two levels. First, I have a chance to coach my sons. Second, as an alumni of ACSS, it gives me a chance to give back to my old school and community.

With all of these new opportunities it does not leave time for me to write stories about the Vancouver Whitecaps.

I would like to thank AFTN for giving me a chance back in June 2013 to write about this great team. Loved the fact that I could write about anything I wanted. If that meant MLS or Residency, Michael was helpful getting the most out of my writing.

Thank you to the rest of the AFTN crew, too many of you to list by name. I truly believe it’s the best assembled writing crew in Vancouver. I can’t wait to continue reading everything on the website.

I will still be out at MLS and Residency games when my schedule permits and can’t wait to catch up with all the other writers and supporters I have met over the past almost five years.

Thank you to everyone who has tweeted, left comments or approached me at games that want to discuss, argue about or complimented me about my stories…