The adaptive, co-ed sport was introduced to Whatcom County in 2018
Soccer, one of the most physically taxing sports, takes place on a field that can go as long as 120 yards and as wide as 80 yards. For this Whatcom County team, the players aren’t running the length of the field — they’re walking it.
The Whatcom County Adult Soccer Association provides a new, co-ed, adaptive style called ultimate walking soccer for locals who want to enjoy the sport but may have physical limitations.
“It’s way different than regular soccer because you have to think more about it,” organizer and player Karen Hoffman, 78, said. “There are still some of us who can’t run the long field, and this version is more relaxed.”
Hoffman is one of 20 players around Whatcom County who compete in ultimate walking soccer. She was introduced to the sport by Tim Busch, the president of the Washington State Adult Soccer Association. Busch hosted a SoccerFest near Seattle in 2018 and Hoffman decided to join.
Whatcom County Adult Soccer Association
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“They brought up these funky little goals and people got to come and try it out,” Hoffman said. “It’s playing soccer, which we all love, but just in a different fashion. We are able to touch the ball more and we don’t keep score.”
After being introduced to the sport seven years ago, Hoffman contacted Busch for a grant to create a program through the Whatcom County Adult Soccer Association (WCASA). Busch granted Hoffman and WCASA $3,000 in 2018 to buy balls, goals and equipment to begin the league.
In the summer of 2018, Hoffman ran the first season of ultimate walking soccer at the Phillips 66 Soccer Park.
The outdoor season costs $5 per session and lasts six weeks from mid-June to mid-August. Afterward, the indoor season begins at the Bellingham Sportsplex for $5 per session and runs from early September to mid-May.
Jessica Holeman, 41, joined the ultimate walking soccer community last summer after playing competitively since she was 6 years old. Holeman saw the opportunity to play the sport as rehab after tearing her ACL three years ago….
Players who are interested in the sport can check out the Whatcom County Adult Soccer website, and will need a WSASA Unlimited player card to be eligible to compete. Registration is full for the upcoming season, but will reopen in May 2026.
FULL STORY at source: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2025/jul/31/walk-dont-run-on-this-whatcom-county-soccer-team/
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