Biography
Gelt's hometown is Calgary, Alberta, Canada. [1] He was a center-back through most of his playing career and shifted to right-back later in his career. Gelt grew up playing soccer in southwest Calgary for Fish Creek Park, followed by Foothills Football Club. During those early years, he led his team as the Captain to winning multiple municipal and provincial championships in Alberta, Canada. In 1990, Gelt was the youngest player in Alberta history to make the U-15 provincial squad at the age of 12. He went on to become the Captain of the Alberta provincial team [2] for several consecutive years growing through the U-15, U-17, and Youth programs. He competed at five consecutive National Championships winning several bronze medals. In 1997, Gelt represented Team Alberta at the Canadian Summer Games in Brandon, Manitoba. [3] [4] Based on his provincial play at competitive competitions, Gelt was invited to Canada national team try-outs for the Canada men's national under-17 soccer team and Canada men's national under-20 soccer team. [5]
In 1996, Gelt joined the University of British Columbia (UBC; 2001) to play for the UBC Thunderbirds Men's Varsity Soccer Team, [6] [7] which has the most victorious record of all Canadian universities. Through his athletic and academic scholarships, Felix played four years at UBC winning three Canada West Championships and a silver medal at the 1999 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Championships. During his varsity career, Gelt was a scholar off the field where he pursued a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He was recognized as an Academic All-Canadian, an award for student athletes who combine athletic excellence with strong academic performance.
Post varsity, Gelt joined the Vancouver Whitecaps training and reserve squad given their affiliation with UBC. In 2001, he moved to Toronto, Ontario to join the Canadian Maccabi Team and to play semi-professional in the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) with the North York Astros [8] from 2001 to 2005.
Felix was Captain of the first outdoor men's soccer team that Maccabi Canada sent to the 2005 Maccabiah Games. [9] This experience culminated with beating the two-time defending champions Argentina 1–0 in the opening game of the tournament. Despite not advancing past their group, their victory over Argentina took the 2-time defending champions out of the tournament and shocked the international Maccabi soccer scene with Team Canada's performance. Four years later at the 2009 Maccabiah Games, Team Canada [10] managed to advance to the quarter-final stage with a heart breaking loss to Mexico. At that point, Gelt retired from international and competitive playing to focus on his professional career. Gelt advanced a career as a management consultant. [11]
The UBC Thunderbirds are the athletic teams that represent the University of British Columbia in the University Endowment Lands just outside the city limits of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Canadian intercollegiate competition, the Thunderbirds are the most successful athletic program both regionally in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, and nationally in U Sports, winning 112 national titles. UBC has won an additional 20 national titles competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics against collegiate competition from the United States and 38 national titles in sports that compete in independent competitions.
The Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas are the sports teams that represent the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Alberta athletics teams have won a total of 93 national championships, including 79 U Sports sanctioned sports, making it one of the most successful programs in the country.
The North York Astros were a Canadian soccer team that was founded in 1990. The team initially played in the National Soccer League. The team played their home games at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York, a district of the city of Toronto, Canada. The team's colours were orange and black. The club was originally named North York Atletico Argentina Soccer Club, and witnessed instant success in its initial stages. After a merger with North York Talons, and a relocation to Scarborough the team was eventually renamed the North York Astros. The Astros were a founding member of the Canadian National Soccer League's successor league the Canadian Professional Soccer League in 1998.
The 17th Maccabiah Games, held in Israel, were an incarnation of the 'Jewish Olympics.' They attracted the largest attendance of any Maccabiah Games, including more than 900 representatives from the United States, almost 500 from Australia, and more than 2,000 from Israel, bringing the total participants to more than 7,700 from 55 countries.
The 12th Maccabiah Games brought over 4,000 athletes to Israel from 38 nations to compete in 28 sports.
The 15th Maccabiah Games are remembered for being marred by a bridge collapse that killed several participants.
The 14th Maccabiah Games brought 5,100 athletes to Israel from 48 nations.
The 18th Maccabiah Games, were held in July 2009. According to the organizing committee these were the largest games held yet. These Games were the world's fifth-largest sporting event, behind the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Police and Fire Games, and Universiade. On the 13 July, more than 6,000 Jewish athletes from all over the world joined Team Israel's 3,000 participants at the Ramat Gan Stadium in Tel Aviv District, Israel, for the opening ceremony. American swimmer Jason Lezak was given the honor of lighting the Maccabiah torch at the Opening Ceremony.
The 2005 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the 8th season for the Canadian Professional Soccer League. The season began on May 21, 2005 and concluded on October 10, 2005 with Oakville Blue Devils defeating Vaughan Shooters 2-1 to win their first CPSL Championship. The final was played at Esther Shiner Stadium, which gave North York Astros a playoff wildcard match. In the regular season the Vaughan Shooters won their first Eastern Conference title, while Hamilton Thunder secured their third Western Conference title. The league increased in membership with the return of the Laval Dynamites. For the first time in the league's history the CPSL introduced a Women's Canada Cup tournament, which included 6 district all-star teams from the existing men's soccer districts.
The U Sports Men's Soccer Championship is a Canadian university soccer tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the men's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy is awarded to the winners.
Gil Vainshtein is a Canadian association football player who plays as a midfielder for the Italia Shooters of the Canadian Soccer League. In university he played for Alderson-Broaddus College, with whom he was named to the 2005 NSCAA/Adidas NCAA Division II All-Appalachian Region second team, and named 2005 First Team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). Professionally, he has played for the North York Astros and the Italia Shooters. Vainshtein played for and was team captain of the Canadian football squad that competed at the 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and won a bronze medal, and also played for Team Canada in the 2013 Maccabiah Games, winning a second bronze medal.
Caleb Robert Clarke is a Canadian soccer player.
Sergio De Luca is a Canadian professional soccer coach and former player.
Sa Brahima Traore is a Burkinabé former international footballer who played the majority of his career in North America and Africa.
Kilian Joel Elkinson is a Bermudian footballer who is a midfielder.
Alon Badat is an Israeli footballer who plays with FC Ukraine United in the Canadian Soccer League. He played college soccer for York University, with whom he was a U Sports Championship All Star, the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Rookie of the Year, and Bradley University in Illinois. He has also played professional soccer with Ironi Kiryat Ata F.C., the North York Astros, Portugal FC/SC Toronto, Scarborough SC, and Vaughan Azzurri. He won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem, Israel.
Daniel Matthias Kaiser is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays for Nautsa’mawt FC in League1 British Columbia.
Nautsa’mawt Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in West Point Grey, Vancouver, British Columbia that plays in League1 British Columbia.
Markus Kaiser is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Calgary Foothills in League1 Alberta..
Danielle Alice Steer is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Women's Football Super League.
