Did you know that one of Saskatchewan's most successful soccer clubs originated with Dutch immigrants?
George Vanderploeg founded the original Hollandia Soccer Club in Saskatoon in 1955. At this time all players were Dutch immigrants who had come to Saskatoon from the Netherlands, commonly known as Holland. Members of the original team included Robert Terstall, Henk Dykstra, Peter Vogel, Martin and John Nyssen, Ben Piggelen, and Henk Ruys, for whom the first indoor soccer centre in Saskatoon is named after. Club records show a formal board and officers dating back to 1955.
In 1961, the Saskatoon Soccer League became the Northern Saskatchewan Soccer League, and Hollandia became a part of this league. 1962 brought Hollandia one of its most success years in the Northern Soccer League as they went undefeated. This was the club's first title since its inception in 1955. Hollandia went on to win the President's Cup that season, and went on to the Provincial Championship final where they lost to Regina Concordia. This newfound success was partially due to the decision to allow players other than those of Dutch descent to join the team.
In the early 90's, three youth players approached Terry Rule about forming a new team. Terry Rule subsequently approached Huw Morris to coach the team. The initial meeting for this team formation was held at Evan Hardy Collegiate, and Hollandia was chosen as the team name on the suggestion of Robbie Pastor who was of Dutch origin. Marion Hind was instrumental in affiliating the Hollandia team with Silverwood Community Association on the north-end of Saskatoon. A group consisting of Janet Lindsay, Huw Morris, Owen Jubinville, Ray Carrie, and others involved with the Silverwood Community Association approached Henk Ruys and the Netherlands society for financing to form Hollandia Youth Soccer Club.
In 1994, Percy Hoff was appointed Head Coach at the University of Saskatchewan and the university Huskies players he coached, along with a few non-students, banded together during the summer to participate in the Saskatoon and District Soccer Association League as the Hollandia Huskies. In their first year this senior team finished second in the Provincial Championships. They later won two Provincial Championships and represented the province at Club Nationals in Edmonton and Winnipeg.
In 1996, Saskatoon Youth Soccer introduced a zoning bylaw, meaning players could only play for teams from the area in which they resided. Five zones were established: on the east side was Aurora, Lakewood, and Eastside, and on the west was Saskatoon United Soccer Club and Hollandia. The zones each appointed Technical Directors and Percy Hoff took on this role with Hollandia Soccer Club. Percy has remained a consistent and influential presence within the club for the three decades since!
Hollandia players continued to show their ability with the appearance of many players on Provincials teams, and at both Regional and National training camps. Amy Vermuelen, Kerr McLeod, and Keegan Thomas all earned places on Canadian National teams and represented their country on the international stage.
One of Hollandia's most famous graduates, Kaylyn Kyle, was a part of the highly successful Canadian Women's National team that won Bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and Gold at the 2011 Pan American Games. Kaylyn often cites Percy Hoff as an early influence on her playing career and visits Saskatoon regularly to offer training to the next generation of athletes.
In September of 2011, Hollandia Impact, a women's team under the Hollandia banner, represented Saskatchewan at the National Club Championships. The same year HUSA Academy made history by being the first ever Saskatchewan team to win a National Senior Championship. Many of the players on the HUSA squad had cut their teeth at Hollandia, and it proved to be a proud season for all of Saskatchewan's soccer family. 2011 unfortunately also saw the passing of Henk Ruys who had served the Saskatoon Soccer community for many years.
Hollandia continues to set the benchmark for technical program delivery in Saskatoon and despite being one of the smallest zones in terms of eligible players, we continue to increase our numbers. Our growth is largely attributed to our extraordinary community of players, families, and volunteers, who ensure that Hollandia continues to have a bright future. The club currently offers programming to the Under 7 through Under 19 age groups. Hollandia continues to be a strong advocate at the local and provincial levels for not only our members and community, but for all players in our province. Our purpose "Enhancing our community by inspiring people to enrich their lives through soccer" is a global one which we strive to accomplish by working collaboratively with other zones, and local and provincial bodies.