HOW OUR JOURNEY STARTED
The story began back in 2010, when 2 Englishmen and an Irishman sat around a table in a Tim Horton’s and spoke about their dream of bringing their love and passion for the game of football (as they call it back in England) over here to Nova Scotia. They spoke about starting a Club which was accessible, affordable, and provided high-calibre quality soccer to kids of all ages and backgrounds. Coming from England where Soccer Clubs are found on every corner and soccer is not only a sport but a way of life, they wanted to devise a program which would allow kids to experience everything that they had. A beautiful game, a memorable experience and friendships that would last a lifetime.
And so the journey began…
Storm Soccer Club was officially formed as a non-profit organisation (not long after that initial Tim Horton’s chat!) and quickly grew in reputation. As of today, Storm has members from Dartmouth, Halifax, Cole Harbour, Eastern Passage, Porters Lake, and Waverly. Storm’s Soccer program has been designed to promote a fun and energetic style of play, enabling the youth from our community to reach their full potential in the sport, whilst building true camaraderie.
Storm are completely volunteer led, and use the Grassroots Development Program, which was implemented by Soccer Canada, so that they can continue provide accessible and consistent training and support to all those who play and volunteer for them. Storm ensure that as they continue to grow the Club, they also continue to improve the experience and the programs they offer and are proud to say that most of their players have been with them since the beginning and are still playing for them now!
Meet the Board
PRESIDENT - EMMA PARKINGTON
Emma joined Storm Soccer as a Coach in early 2022 and accepted the role of President soon after. Hailing from Manchester, England, following sports isn’t just a hobby, it’s a passion and Emma has definitely brought that passion to Storm. You can take the girl out of northern England but not the north out of the girl! For 15 years, Emma has worked as a Solutions Architect. Starting her career in healthcare and working tirelessly to improve processes, structures, and systems to create consistency and efficiency, she has undertaken roles as the Head of Communications and Marketing, Head of Human Resources and has worked in Business Development and Operations. Since moving from healthcare in 2019, Emma is now working with businesses across Nova Scotia, to help grow and scale their impact within the communities which they are based… And working with Storm Soccer to ensure the players are always put first.
VICE PRESIDENT - CHRIS STOOPS
Joining our Board in November 2019, Chris's experience coaching our younger players will be a huge asset to his new role of VP Minis. A dedicated dad to two Storm boys and an enthusiastic Mini coach since 2017, Chris is also a long time recreational soccer player and he is trained in coaching, ethics and safety. Chris hopes he can foster his same love of the game at an early stage with the Storm Mini program. His goal is to make every training session and game inclusive, fun packed, full of movement and an opportunity to learn key soccer skills. When he is not wrangling the U10's and U11's, he is biking, hiking with his dog or enjoying movie nights with his family.
TREASURER - SUSAN DIXON-LENNETT
Susan has been filling the role of Club Treasurer, otherwise known as the "money lady", since November 2014. Treasurer is a key position in any non-profit organization, but "sharp as a tack" Susan is ALL over this role. Susan has also been a team manager season after season. Her organizational skills, efficiency and no-nonsense approach make her the ideal candidate to keep an eagle eye over our books. Susan is also the first to pitch in with any Club fundraising efforts, which makes her a Storm volunteer extraordinaire!
FOUNDER / TECHNICAL LEAD - MARK HARPER
Mark hails from the Newcastle area of England and is a self-confessed Newcastle United super-fan, often making the trip ‘home’ to catch at game at his beloved St James Park. Mark moved to Nova Scotia in 2002 and has coached for Dunbrack, Dartmouth United, and formed Storm Soccer Club with co-founders Simon Wilson and Mike Lynch. Storm Soccer Club were accepted into Soccer Nova Scotia, after merging with Dartmouth Women’s Soccer Club in 2010. Mark is relentless in his passion for the game of football (soccer!) and has coached all ages from U6 to U18 during his time in the province.
Mark currently holds a provincial ‘C’-licence and a ‘B’ practical to coach soccer in Nova Scotia. He is now also looking to become a trained learning facilitator with Soccer Nova Scotia.
REGISTRAR - NADINE WILLIAMS
A mum of a longtime Storm Soccer player and a repeat Team Manager, Nadine took on the added role of Youth Registrar in 2019. Always willing to help out, she is a wizard with the Storm Soccer registration system and management process. When not doing ‘soccer stuff’ she is loving her dog Rusty.
HR/RISK MANAGEMENT - NOAH LINCOURT
New to the board in 2023, but not new to the club is Noah. Noah has been with Storm Soccer Club for the past 10 years, wearing many hats which include: Volunteer coach, Staff coach, and player! In one way or another, Noah has been part of every youth age group in the club! Noah is responsible for making sure our volunteers have their Criminal Record Checks complete. He will also assist with maintaining our coach certifications and working with Soccer Nova Scotia to make sure our coaches have proper training. His career as a software developer dealing with data makes Noah keen for this task of maintaining our club’s data quality. When not at the soccer field, Noah can be found in the gym, woods, or on the disc golf course.
COMMUNICATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA - JENNIFER MOIR
Jennifer joined the Storm family in 2017, volunteering to organize the U8 canteen for the summer festivals for two years. In 2020 her son’s coach asked her to assist in the team manager role and Jennifer hasn’t looked back. With two years five seasons of being team mom Jennifer has offered to take on Storm Communications and social media. If you have fun photos or videos of the Club, please reach out to her at: communications@stormsoccerclub.com.
EQUIPMENT - JP MICHAUD
New to our Board in November 2019, JP Michaud is a familiar Storm face. A certified Coach, JP has been coaching teams of different age divisions for several seasons and is one of Storm's most passionate supporters. JP has taken on the important and time consuming role of Equipment Manager and he will be responsible for organizing and maintaining Storm's supply of nets, pinnies, cones and never ending supply of balls. An avid Moosehead fan, JP also supports the HFX Wanderers and can often be found pitch side working security at their matches. In his rare downtime, JP enjoys spending time with his beloved "Doggo", coaching for Storm and planning his next (well deserved!) vacation.
