It's the visionaries who make community sports clubs possible.
- James Tarrant
- Jun 6
- 7 min read
Every sport has a visionary builder who dared to think outside the box and dream of something greater.
When teacher Bob Tarrant moved to North River from St. Lawrence to become Assistant Principal at All Hallows Elementary in 2003, building a soccer program was high on his list of positive things he wanted to accomplish in his new community.
It was also mainly due to the benefits he experienced growing up playing soccer, including learning essential life skills such as setting long-term and short-term goals, achieving success through hard work and persistence, and respecting yourself and others.
NLSA Hall of Fame
In April, Tarrant will be inducted into the 2025 Newfoundland Soccer Hall of Fame in the builder's category for laying the foundation for the Conception Bay North Lightning Soccer Program. In its 20th season, the club had over 400 players in 2024—five house leagues and teams that played in the Championship and St.John's Metro League. The program had also grown to include fields in nearby Bay Roberts.
Early Influences
Originally from Lawn, a small fishing town on the southern end of the Burin Peninsula or “the boot,” as residents who live there often say. For Tarrant, soccer was a passion and a way of life.
If you were to ask Tarrant what inspired him to build a soccer league in CBN, he would say it's a difficult question to answer. Still, it was primarily influenced by his Dad, Isadore Tarrant, who was inducted into the Burin Peninsula Soccer Hall of Fame as a builder in the 1980s.
“He was a driving force in developing organized soccer on the Burin Peninsula. His love for soccer was influenced by his exposure to professional football when he served in the Newfoundland Forestry Unit in WW2. He loved the Glasgow Celtic. He often told me about the games he saw in Scotland and their well-honed skills.”
Initially, the only place you could play soccer was nearby meadows in Lawn, but when the landowners were not watching, Tarrant laughed.
“Growing up in Lawn, we always loved playing in the meadows because we had a sand-topped field, and it was too easy to get injured when you fell. There was one meadow we loved to play on, but the owner didn’t like us to play on it because he used it to grow hay. We would always watch for him to go somewhere in his truck, and then we would run up the meadow for a game. I remember one day when we saw his truck leave, and my friends and I ventured up to the meadow, but he was home. The next thing we hear is a roar coming from the stable. He came chasing after us with a pitchfork. Let me tell you, we were not long scattering.”
Tarrant said that after WW2, when his father returned home to Lawn, he started a senior team called the Lawn Shamrocks. When Isadore was Mayor of Lawn, he worked with the Church for permission to use the land to build a pitch. It was a community effort to complete it.
If you were lucky enough to go take in a game in Lawn, when the Shamrocks played, it was always the main event for locals. If you couldn't find a spot on the soccer pitch sidelines or the cursing hill (a rocky hill where locals would cheer on the Lawn Shamrocks and jeer opposing teams), you could watch from your car carefully parked on a part of the field that had the best view. You always heard car horns echo all over Lawn when the Shamrocks scored.
“I was the youngest boy, so we both shared a love for the game. He took me to games throughout the Burin Peninsula and the Provincial and Atlantic Championships in St. Johns. We saw some of the best players this province has ever produced. I learned so much about the game from him. The passion for the game he brought grew, and everyone in Lawn played soccer when I grew up.”
Growing Pains
Like his father, who had grown the game in Lawn, it wasn't easy to convince municipal town officials in CBN that a soccer program would work in a community where softball and hockey were the dominant sports.
“There were many challenges starting up a soccer club in CBN. Historically, this was a hockey and softball region, which made it a difficult sell for municipal leaders. The response I always got was ‘soccer will never catch on in this region.”
Tarrant said this made it difficult to get funding, but the biggest challenge was not having a soccer pitch.
“The only option was to convert the old softball field next to All Hallows Elementary in North River into a soccer pitch. In the program’s first year, we repaired an outfield section big enough for U10 and under-age groups. The parents all pitched in to help with this work, and we were ready to start up by late June of 2006.”
Support Systems
When you build a soccer program, your partnerships with new people and old friends help make it work; Tarrant always welcomed local people with open arms to volunteer their time, although having some soccer connections he knew from the Bruin Peninsula was also a benefit.
He said Gord Dunphy from the NLSA was able to secure bags of soccer balls and pointed him in the right direction for jersey sponsorship. His brother-in-law, John Hall, built the soccer nets.
The next thing on the agenda was coaching, said Tarrant
“I started by contacting parents from the Burin Peninsula, beginning with Perry Gillard. He had played with Marystown. Perry registered his son in the winter program and quickly became involved in coaching and refereeing games. He became a board member and was a significant asset to our club. Over the years, we attracted more former Burin Peninsula players and players from the provinces' other soccer towns. Several other parents also took on coaching roles and completed CSA training courses.”
Business Support
During his ten years as President of CBN Lightning, Tarrant forged numerous partnerships. He said the most crucial was with the NLSA, who provided invaluable support and guidance for coaches and players with CSA Coaching certification and player development sessions and managed tournaments and player registrations. Dunphy and Judi Kelloway offered their encouragement and expertise, which was essential for the club's establishment. Tim Hortons played a significant role in providing jerseys and medals for our players. The Town of Bay Roberts was another key partner by building an Olympic-size soccer field in 2010 and supporting us with student summer coaches and field maintenance.
“The new soccer field eased our financial burden and allowed us to schedule practices and games better. Tarrant says this field is regarded as the best grass pitch in the province.”
Other vital sponsors included United Way, Popsicle, The Royal Canadian Legion, Bay Roberts, Woodward Motors, and the local business community.
Volunteers
Neil Hiller, the current President of the Conception Bay North Lightning soccer club, fondly recalls playing on the Lawn soccer pitch as a senior player with Fortune. He began volunteering with the CBN Lightning in 2008 when his son was just three. From the start, he recognized that the program would be successful due to the hard work Tarrant put into it.
“He was truly the best. He had so much patience and an undeniable passion for the game. His patience with both parents and kids was remarkable. He was always calm, cool, and collected, even when the kids were giving him a hard time. He never got flustered or upset. His personality is truly admirable.”
Hiller said that when Tarrant got the call that he would be inducted into the NLSA Hall of Fame, he was a little emotional, calling it the best Christmas present ever. He then asked Hiller if the NSLA would have enough tables and chairs for his three brothers, six sisters, and in-laws to attend the induction ceremony.
Personal Challenges
The remarkable aspect of building a thriving community soccer program was doing it with visual impairment. Despite being legally blind, which limited his ability to drive, he relied on his wife Michele's support to bring him to every game, practice, and board meeting.
“I faced the challenge head-on. Running the club for ten years involved significant paperwork and a year-round commitment, which often caused eye strain and headaches. I pushed through to ensure the club's prosperity. My vision impairment didn't heavily impact my performance on the field until my final year with the club when my peripheral vision worsened, and I had to step away. I never made an issue of my condition with board members or players; instead, I adapted and worked harder to complete tasks. Stepping away was a tough decision, as I cherished the close connection with my CBN Lightning Soccer community.”
Legacy
The ultimate goal for Tarrant was building a soccer brand that would make CBN residents, parents and players proud, which he is confident was accomplished. He said the best advice he can give anyone wanting to build a sports club is to find people who share their passion and never give up.
“You will succeed if you are willing to work hard. The sense of fulfillment from seeing the smiles on players’ faces makes all the sacrifices worthwhile. Live by these words: "I can, I will, and this is how I will do it!" My philosophy has always been: build it, and they will come; experience it, and stay. This has been the case for CBN Lightning. I am immensely proud of our accomplishments as we approach our twentieth anniversary. Although I may no longer see the beautiful game, I take great satisfaction in knowing I played a small part in creating a program that children in this region will enjoy for many years.”
Comments