HERStory: Women In Sport
FACT: participation by women in all sports, including soccer, is dwindling. There are many factors like:
- Lack of access.
- Safety and transportation issues.
- Decreased quality of experience.
- Cost.
- Lack of positive role models.
Foothills is working to reverse that trend! Our female players, coaches, trainers, managers, and staff all play an important role in our success. We are actively involved in a number of initiatives to support all of them.
Our Program Goals:
- Attract new and retain existing players.
- Grow the Pathway for women in soccer.
- Support leadership development and mentorship for your women in the soccer system.
We have many initiatives underway that are starting to make a difference. Just a few are highlighted below. If you want to know more about the Foothills ‘HERStory: Women in Sport” initiative, please email Lee Tucker at tucks@gofoothills.ca.
Foothills and the TELUS SHE CAN COACH program
Foothills has completed the two-year TELUS She CAN Coach program operated by Canada Soccer, and we are now building on what we learned through that experience. One of the most exciting outcomes is seeing more women step confidently into coaching roles across our club. Finnah Gordon is now gaining valuable practical experience in our Pre-Enhanced program and has just achieved her Canada Soccer C Licence. Jill Jenkinson is participating in our Next Level coach development program while coaching our 2013 Girls team and contributing to the success of our League1 Women’s squad. And in Grassroots, Hailey Sheasgreen is helping lead the way, co-leading our youngest players and setting a positive example for future female leaders in the game.
We are grateful to Canada Soccer and TELUS for investing in programs of this calibre, which create meaningful pathways for women in coaching and help clubs like ours grow stronger, more inclusive, and better prepared for the future.
"We aim to increase the number of women coaches and encourage more girls to engage in the sport."
Why Do You Play? For the Camaraderie.
For female members in particular, the friendships forged through sport are a major factor in why they play. Foothills regularly host events for our female members to bring them together off the pitch, including Managers’ workshops and team and Club events.
Our team coaches and managers, too, are building environments that create memories, friendships, and a “soccer for life” mentality.
Read the inspiring story of the Foothills Ravens and their seven year (and counting) soccer journey!
Introducing the Northern Super League and the Calgary Wild FC
At the end of May 2024, it was announced that the Northern Super League (NSL) would begin in April 2025. The League will consist of teams from six cities… Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary!
Calgary Wild FC will represent players and soccer fans from across the province and is the first and only pro women’s team between Vancouver and Toronto. We hope to see that stat change soon!
For our players and their families, this means that those with the ambition and skill to play professionally will now have an opportunity to do it in Canada and even here in front of their home-province supporters!
For the Club, it’s another important part of our PATHWAY TO PRO. As champions of the “women in soccer” movement in Canada, Foothills had the foresight to secure the rights for pro women’s soccer in Calgary, supporting the original organizers Diana Matheson (shown here with Foothills members) and her team at Project 8 from the very beginning. Those rights have now transitioned but the Club remains an avid supporter of women’s soccer. It’s a proud moment for the Club to see our involvement play a part in establishing the new League and the Calgary Wild FC.
In The News:
Foothills APDL 2007 Girls Are PDP National Champions!
This is the story of a journey that began with a small group of dedicated players and ended with a national championship. It’s a story of trust, loyalty, and the power of a winning culture. The Foothills APDL 2007 girls’ team is now etched in history as the inaugural 2024 PDP U17 National Champions. What began with just 11 players at U14 has blossomed into a team with a legacy built on accountability, positivity, commitment, resilience, hard work, inclusion, passion, and fearlessness.
CMSA shifts training environment to try to keep more girls in the game
Over 750 young soccer players from across the province took part in the 2024 Winter Classic Indoor soccer tournament, but out of the 73 teams taking part, only 11 were girls’ teams.
“The numbers don’t lie,” said Jordan Stewart, the technical leader of Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA). “There’s a definite need for a focus on the female side of the game.”
New high performance soccer program helps girls get to the next level
Alberta Soccer’s Jason Blake and Lisa Grant explain the new High Performance Program that is now available for Alberta female soccer players. The program ensures that Albertans have a pathway in Alberta to be identified by post secondary, national and even pro teams. They will no longer have to travel out of province and be separated from their families to receive this opportunity.
50 players including Reece Hollingworth from Swan City FC in Grande Prairie and Ivy Kunn from South West United in Calgary attended the March sessions at the Macron Centre. 20 players will be selected to field a League1 Alberta team, an important path forward to play for colleges and universities and beyond.
Foothills Coach Development and Mentoring Program
At Foothills, we have implemented a Coach Development and Mentoring program to help attract female coaches at all levels. One of the program’s goals is to build confidence, and it’s working. Jill Jenkinson, one of our female coaches who heads up the WFC 2011 Green team says, “I played soccer all of my life but when I decided to coach my daughter’s team, I was not at all confident in my coaching abilities. The Foothills Coach education program gave me the resources and tools I needed to become a more self-assured and informed coach. It has made all the difference.”
"I played soccer all of my life, but when I decided to coach my daughter's team, I was not at all confident in my coaching abilities. The Foothills Coach education program gave me the resources and tools I needed to become a more self-assured and informed coach. It has made all the difference."
Soccer Coach Stephanie Colvin coaches our U10 APDL Girls Team along with Luis Tinoco. She attended our April 2024 Coaches Workshop and took a minute to share how the Club supports all of our coaches.
Stephanie also talks about the importance of mentorship, especially for female soccer players.
Thanks, Stephanie!
An Inclusive and Immersive Experience That Cultivates Friendships
There are many reasons to participate in soccer. The life-long friendships you develop is an important one.
Take Mya Jones (left) and Grace Stordy (right).
These two Foothills athletes started their journey together in Foothills Youth Club and went on to play together for Foothills WFC in the United Women’s Soccer League.
Talk about a lifelong friendship!
Carla van den Berg Presents at 7th Annual IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport
Carla van den Berg is the former Assistant Head of Sports Science at Foothills.
Carla is fast making a name for herself as a leader in research focused on profiling the menstrual cycle in elite female athletes. Carla was in Monaco in the Spring of 2024 while still with Foothills, where she presented some of her early University of Calgary PhD research at the prestigious International Olympic Committee World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport. Her presentation highlighted results from a recent project that explored athletes’ experiences about the menstrual cycle in sport, and made recommendations about how we can better support female athletes.
Carla’s talk attracted a diverse audience of researchers, physiotherapists, physicians, and sport performance coaches from around the world. The conference also enabled her to attend other presentations to learn more about preventing injuries and supporting athlete well-being. Notable talks included:
- Novel exercises for ACL injury prevention
- Planning for medical management at World Cup tournament
- Software training for data visualization
- Artificial intelligence in sport, and
- Preventing relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs).
The trip also included a visit to Lyon, France, where she met with performance staff from Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. This invaluable experience provided her with insights into the training approaches and systems employed by one of the leading professional clubs in women’s football.
Stay tuned for exciting developments as we continue to drive innovation and excellence within our sports science programs at Foothills.
Team Managers: The Glue that Holds Our Teams Together
It is an understatement that a team manager is the glue that holds each team together. Team managers spend countless hours helping their squads have a rewarding soccer experience and successful season, and we support them in many ways. We provide resources to help them learn from each other and share best practices. Improving the training and support we provide our managers is a priority.
Foothills hosts socials for our managers to gather, share ideas, and network. The socials provide an opportunity for each of them to engage with Foothills staff and build relationships.
Why These Events Matter
- Strengthening Bonds: Our team managers are an integral piece of each team. These events provide an opportunity to build and strengthen connections.
- Cultivating Culture: A strong and positive club culture is vital for our players’ growth and development. When our team management comes together, we create an environment that exemplifies our core values of passion, purpose, and professionalism.
- Acknowledgment of Effort: Our managers’ dedication and commitment does not go unnoticed. These events provide an opportunity for us to express our gratitude for the countless hours invested in shaping our players’ experiences on and off the field.
- Fun and Relaxation: Our Club’s mission is to make soccer a fun and rewarding experience for our players, but also all team members, including our managers.
See It. Believe It. Achieve It.
Listen to Foothills Academy Member, Fabie Zumwalt and her coach, Lee Tucker, discuss the pro women’s soccer league’s impact. Fabie, a formidable force on the field, emphasizes the profound influence of witnessing women compete at the professional level, particularly for aspiring young players.
For young girls, observing women excel professionally serves as a catalyst for empowerment. Additionally, the skills learned on the pitch extend beyond soccer, providing lessons in leadership, dedication, and commitment that resonate throughout their live
Foothills WFC's Doctor Rehana Murani Interview With Global Calgary
Back in 2019, former Foothills WFC midfielder and former team Canada member Dr. Rehana Murani was interviewed by Global Calgary. Rehana shared how she balances soccer and residency. When asked what her advice would be regarding balancing elite sport with academics, she said, “Pushing in all aspects of your life is really important… I’d say go for both.”
