The Current - Move over pickleball: have you tried walking soccer?

Episode Date: October 20, 2025

A different kind of soccer is here — a one, where running is not allowed. It's called Walking Soccer, and it's a relatively new sport on the block, designed to be played without all the impact on your body. It first came to Canada about a decade ago, and has taken off. This week four Canadian teams are in Spain for an international competition; the World Nations Cup. We talk to Kerrin Hands, a player and the coach of the Men's over 50 team, and his teammate Faisal Ahmed about what this team means to them — and why it’s important to stay active as you get older.

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Among the many skills you need to play soccer at a competitive level, running is definitely one of them, or is it? This is a different kind of soccer, one where you don't run. In fact, running isn't allowed. It's called walking. soccer. It is a relatively new sport designed to be played without all the impact on your body. First came to Canada about a decade ago. This week, four Canadian teams are in Spain for an international competition, the World Nations Cup. Joining me now, two members of the

men's over 50 team, both from Toronto, Karen Hans, and Faisal Ahmed. Good morning to you both. Hey, Matt. Good morning, Matt. Karen, you are a player. You're also the coach of the team. People might be listening and they could be saying walking soccer I don't believe you tell me more about this and how this sport actually works well walking soccer

is actually very much like regular soccer with a key difference which you can tell from the title is walking instead of running it's a wonderful sport which it's an opportunity for older adults to get back involved with the

beautiful game again. Many people give up once the injuries start hitting and it's a great opportunity to get in shape again and walking soccer gives everyone the opportunity to get back into the sport. So the rules

are what? No running is one of them and then are there other rules that would differentiate it from traditional soccer? There are many rules which do change due to say and to help people play safely.

The walking rule is that one foot needs to be on the ground at all times, very similar to Olympic-style speedwalking. But there are the rules which just reduce the chance of injuries and keeps everyone on the field safe and having fun. Faisal, describe what the sport looks like. If I have never seen this before, what am I looking at? Matt, you're going to see basically people, usually between six or seven people per team in a smaller field, constantly moving.

That's one of the active part of this game, which is you're constantly moving. You're not playing in a large field where long balls are being passed across. You're going to see a lot of movement. You're going to see a lot of short passes. You're going to see a lot of people having fun, regardless of ability or age. And that's the key part is to keep moving. Stay active, enjoy the sport you love. And so it's fast-paced?

it is a lot of us measure our activity you know people are wearing smart watches now right so you have your apple watch fit bit garment and all that and we're tracking you know how will our cardio activities are doing you know and and this shows this sport has organically shown to be cardio fitness based so folks that follow high intensity interval training for example they will benefit from this without having to sort of force yourself into interval training where you have to do certain things on a treadmill or running in a park. It gets repetitive and boring. But if you enjoy the sport of soccer, then this becomes organic because it's very natural.

Karen, tell me about your introduction to this. How did you learn about this sport and then get involved in it? I was in Spain, visiting Spain, see my family, and I saw a Facebook post for walking soccer in a local club. I thought, well, it sounds interesting. I'll give it a go. And with trepidation, but within 10 minutes, I absolutely loved that.

I fell in love with the sport. And I could see all the benefits, all the health benefits. And I didn't feel like there was a big compromise on the running game. To me, it just felt like regular soccer, but a little slower. but there's still a tremendous work out there. What was the trepidation? Would I be able to not run? It was the main one.

But, you know, there's a technique to it. I think I mentioned before about the Olympic style racewalking. It's a very similar, one very similar style. One foot has to be touching the ground at all times. And so if you place your heel down and keep your legs straight and you keep that motion going, Bob's your uncle, you know, you just, it just happens for you. But it's, yeah, it's a very accessible for all people of any ability.

I mean, that was the question I was going to ask. Is it difficult to not run? I mean, so much of, you just watch soccer, and it's about chasing after the ball. Yeah, yeah, you have to make those decisions whether you're going to let the ball roll out or whether to follow it or not. But it's, it's, yeah, no, it can be very tempting to get into a trot. when that ball is getting away from you. So it does take a lot of discipline to stay walking.

Faisal, when you first saw this, what did you think? You know, I've told this to a lot of people, which is it's a three-step process in getting to really appreciate this game. You know, the first time you hear about it, you're skeptical, right? It's a walking soccer. I've never heard of it. What does it really mean? You may even snicker and laugh at and chuckle at it a little bit.

The second step is to actually try it out. As soon as you try it out, the third step happens almost immediately, which is, ah, I get it. This is actually fun. You're constantly moving. You actually get to participate in the sport without the threat of injuries, which running soccer always presents, especially four people our age. What would you say to the people who hear about this, and they might snicker? Get to step two and stage three, because stage three will follow almost immediately. Our club in Toronto has grown based on that trial method

where people have kind of found us, gave it a shot, and immediately felt in love. How big, Karen, is the sport in Canada right now? There are clubs all over the country from BC to all the way to Nova Scotia, right across the country. Most of the bigger clubs are in Ontario. But there is representation everywhere. I'd encourage anybody who's interested in trying it out to go online,

Google Walking Soccer and find a club near them and give it a go. I guarantee you love it like I do. The comment I hear most from people who try it for the first time is I love it, which is a pretty strong statement and supports how good walking soccer is. This is, I mean, am I stretching it to say that this is a game for older people? people? It is. Over 50s is for men and over 40s for women is the usual age group. But we have players in the Toronto Club who are up to 84 years old and yeah, and they can move. We have players in the 70s, 60s all the way through. It suits all different body shapes and whether people have

illnesses or knee replacements, hip replacements, they still come along and play, and it's a, because the game is so adaptable, you know, the entry level is quite low, anybody can join. And we all play in the same field and have a good time together. It's a lot of fun. Faisal, what does it like to see some of those older players play? Oh, I look at them in awe and hope that I can continue to play, like them at that age. As Karen mentioned, we do have some younger folks that have kind of tried it out and like it and have joined the club as well. But it's being able to see people of all ages, backgrounds. We have people that have never touched a soccer ball before as they were growing up. We mentioned

the love of the game, but some people have grown up watching it, but it never actually kicked a ball around until they joined us and now they love it. So to see us mature with the sport, I can only dream. Karen, there's an interesting lesson here, right? I mean, the idea often is that as you get older, you become less active. And, you know, maybe running around playing soccer is not good on the hips or the knees. And you figure, well, that's it. I can't do the thing that I love anymore.

What do you see as the lesson that can come out of something like this? Yeah. Don't think you can't do it. There's many people out there who think that they can't play. play soccer anymore and hung their boots up for good is what they think but um walking soccer is the second entry point uh for older adults to to get back into soccer and many people have come along uh who thought they would never play again come to our club put on their cleats and got back into into soccer uh and and can't believe they're doing it and there is they they they have the same

joy, they say, as when they first started playing when they were teenagers. And it's wonderful to see players get back into the sport that they love. And now this game has taken you. We're reaching you in Spain, where Team Canada is up against Spain in this World Nations Cup. Tell me a little bit about what it's like, Karen, to be there, and what you think your chances are against Spain. Well, we've been here a week already. We've had a tremendous trade. camping the south of south of Spain

playing against local clubs there as we prepared for the finals up here in Torre Vieha we have developed enormously we've been training very hard since last April we have tight group

we've worked very hard on our game and we're ready to take on any all comes we don't we don't mind who we play against and we're you know we're just proud to represent Canada. And it's an amazing opportunity for all of us who have never played professional sport to get the chance to represent your country. It's a very proud moment for all of us. Faisal, what is that like? Your day job is what? A systems analyst? And now you've pulled on

the Maple Leaf in a representing team Canada. What's that like for you? Oh, I'm going to echo what Kerry just mentioned. It's an amazing opportunity. Most of us growing up, people that have played the sport can only dream of representing their nation putting on the red white and the maple leaf and to be able to actually do that work as a team as Karen mentioned. We have been training as a team for four months now and we've been training in Spain for the last week. It's just a tremendous dream come true. Every single one of our team members will say exactly the same thing. Good luck. I mean, there's success on the line, but also the opportunity to grow this sport that you yourselves have fallen in love. Thank you for talking.

talking to us and all the best. Thank you for having us much. Karen Hennes is a player coach. Faisal Ahmed is a player for the over 50 Canadian walking soccer team. They take to the pitch tomorrow at the World Nations Cup in Spain. This has been the current podcast. You can hear our show Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1 at 8.30 a.m. At all time zones, or you can also listen online at cbc.ca.ca slash the current or on the CBC

Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Matt Galloway. Thanks for listening. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.