The Thornhill Soccer Club is pleased to welcome more than 240 teams and over 5,000 players, coaches, families, and supporters from across Ontario to Thornhill and the City of Markham.

Games will be played at fields throughout Markham. All schedules are now live on SportEngine and can be viewed here:

https://tourneymachine.com/R185769

Weekend Weather

Saturday morning is expected to be cloudy and generally favourable, with temperatures rising from approximately 18°C to 25°C. There is a chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms, so teams should monitor the weather and be prepared for changing conditions.

Sunday is expected to be cooler, with temperatures around 16°C to 22°C and periods of rain throughout the day. Teams should come prepared to play in wet conditions.

Any weather-related updates or schedule changes will be communicated through SportEngine.

Festival Medallions

Festival teams may pick up their participation medallions from the Thornhill Soccer Club office at:

2400 John Street, Thornhill

Championship and Finalist Trophy Presentations

All championship and finalist trophies will be presented at St. Robert Catholic High School. Following their final, championship and finalist teams should make their way to:

St. Robert Catholic High School
8101 Leslie Street, Thornhill

We hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend filled with great soccer, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Thank you for participating in and supporting the Thornhill Challenge Cup & Festival.

Good luck to all the teams!

Unfortunately, we need to cancel tonight’s session at the Bayview reservoir. Environment Canada has issued a Yellow Watch for a Severe Thunderstorm in our area. While the rain is light at the moment, we’d rather err on the side of caution given the watch and the open, exposed nature of the reservoir.

As we’ve now lost a few sessions to weather this season, we will be extending the recreational program by one week to make up for the lost time. We’ll confirm the updated schedule shortly.

Due to the ongoing wildfire smoke and the Orange Air Quality Warning across the GTA, all soccer sessions scheduled for tonight, Thursday, July 16, are cancelled.

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is currently sitting at 10+ (Very High Risk). Since health guidelines recommend cancelling high-cardio outdoor activities at this level, we are prioritizing the safety of our players, coaches, and families.

Affected Programs:   

• Recreational Programs (All youth age groups)
• Competitive Programs (All team practices and games)
• Adult Programs

We expect conditions to improve over the weekend as the winds shift, and we plan to be fully back on the pitch next week. We will reach out to teams directly regarding rescheduling and make-up dates.

You can monitor real-time local conditions on the Environment Canada Website.

Thank you for your understanding—stay safe and head indoors tonight!

The Thornhill Soccer Staff

Due to an active Environment Canada Orange Air Quality Warning currently in effect for our area, we have made the decision to cancel all programming this evening, Wednesday, July 15, including:

– All practices (recreational and competitive)
– All games (recreational and competitive)
– All adult programs

Why we made this call:

Environment Canada has issued a High Impact air quality warning this morning due to wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario, stating that everyone’s health is at risk regardless of age or health status during heavy smoke conditions, and specifically recommending that outdoor sports, activities, and events be rescheduled or cancelled. Smoke is forecast to persist through this evening and overnight, with improvement not expected until Thursday.

While temperatures will ease somewhat by evening, hot, humid air combined with smoke can push air quality into high-risk territory, posing a real risk to players of all ages, not just those in higher-risk groups.

The safety of our players, coaches, and families is always our top priority, and we’d rather err on the side of caution than have anyone deal with smoke inhalation or heat-related illness.

If conditions persist, we will continue to monitor Environment Canada’s advisories and provide updates on any further schedule changes.

Thank you for your understanding and flexibility. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Stay safe and stay cool,

Just a quick heads-up ahead of tonight’s practice.

The forecast for this evening (around 6:30 PM) shows a temperature near 27°C with a humidex of approximately 32-33°C. We will have mandatory water breaks during the session.

Here’s what we’ll be doing to keep everyone safe:
– Extra water breaks built into the session
– Please send your player with a full water bottle (and a backup if possible)
– Sunscreen and a light-colored shirt are recommended
– If your child feels dizzy, overly fatigued, or unwell at any point, please let a coach know immediately

Practice is still going ahead as planned, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on conditions and adjusting intensity/breaks as needed.

Parental Discretion: Your child’s health and comfort are the top priority. If you feel it is simply too hot for your child to participate tonight, especially if they are sensitive to the heat or have underlying conditions like asthma, we completely support your decision to keep them home.