Our History

Black jacket with orange accents, featuring a Calgary Blizzard logo with a soccer ball, and the letters B A on the lower front.

The Calgary Blizzard Soccer Club traces its roots back to 1967, when Marino Sedran and Gordon Hawkins led a team of 11- and 12-year-old Calgary boys to represent Alberta at an Expo 67 soccer competition in Montreal. Inspired by their experience, the returning team adopted the name of a defunct Canadian Junior Football team – the “North Hill Blizzards” – and was rebuilt around six of the original players.

Under Sedran and Hawkins’ guidance, this group competed in local Northwest Calgary leagues against teams from Montgomery, Highwood, and University Heights. Between 1967 and 1977, the team reached the National Championships three times, winning the Canadian Juvenile National title in 1971.

By the mid-1970s, growing numbers of graduating youth players highlighted the need for a structured club environment. Alongside Sedran and Hawkins, Gary Burkholder (Brentwood) and Kermit Newman (Triwood) helped establish a Northwest Zone Club to manage soccer activities for players from Bantam level and up.

The Calgary Blizzard Soccer Club was officially registered as a society in Alberta on March 14, 1977. Since then, the club has grown exponentially. By 2016, Blizzard fielded 75 teams for both boys and girls in the Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA) outdoor season, making it one of Calgary’s oldest and largest amateur sporting clubs.

Group of young soccer players and coach posing on a field, holding trophies and a ball, wearing red and white uniforms.

1967 Blizzard Team

50 Years of Orange

In June 2017, Blizzard celebrated its Golden Anniversary with a special event honoring 50 years of soccer excellence. Canada Soccer’s Director of Development, Jason deVos, joined as guest speaker, highlighting the upcoming launch of the Canadian Premier League and emphasizing the importance of youth development programs that prioritize the success and growth of players.