Hi Layla. What is your soccer background?

I started playing soccer when I was 10 years old in Australia with the Williamstown Soccer Club, where I was on an all-girls team. Two years later, our team didn’t have enough players to form a full team in our age group, so my friend and I played up with the U14 team. That was a great chance to play alongside older girls and challenge myself.

My family moved to Canada in 2022, and I joined Foothills in 2023. I have played both Tier 1 and Tier 2. I have been captain for the past year, which has been a great opportunity to lead my team and grow even further as a player. 

Do you have a favourite memorable moment?

My most memorable soccer moment happened in September 2024, when my team traveled to Montana for a tournament. We took a bus together and for about 3-4 days, competed, so it really was a very special bonding experience for all of us. Spending so much time together helped us grow closer as a team, and we ended up finishing in second place overall. It felt like a huge accomplishment, and it definitely motivated us for the following season. It was one of those experiences that I will never forget; it brought us even closer. 

What is it about the TELUS She CAN Coach program that piqued your interest? What do you hope to get from it?

I’m so looking forward to the program; this is such a great opportunity, and I am just so grateful to be part of it. It is going to be a great experience, being able to meet other women and girls interested in coaching, and I’m hoping it helps me get a deeper understanding of how to be a better coach.

I have done some Grassroots coaching, but I want to get a better understanding of coaching and hopefully be able to coach older age groups. 

What are your coaching aspirations?

As mentioned, I’ve done Grassroots coaching, but I really want to move on to coaching older age groups. I want to be able to teach younger kids the way that works best for them, just like how I wished I was coached when I was their age.

It would be amazing to have a full-time job as a coach in the future, and I hope this program will help me get there. It’s an exciting opportunity that could open doors to a career in coaching, and I’m looking forward to everything I’m going to learn from it.

Is there a particular coach that you particularly admire?

Emma Hayes is a coach I really respect and admire. As the head coach of the U.S Women’s Soccer Team she has transformed the team, guiding them to many amazing achievements.

Personally, I love seeing a woman lead a women’s professional team. It’s inspiring to watch women supporting and empowering each other at such a high-level. Emma is one of the world’s top female coaches, and her success shows just how capable and talented women are in coaching. 

With the inaugural season of the Northern Super League just around the corner, what does the NSL, and the new Calgary Wild FC franchise mean to you?

I think it’s incredible that Canada now has a professional women’s soccer league, especially with Calgary Wild FC being part of it. The fact that there are high-level women’s teams that are competing in Canada shows how far women’s soccer has come in Canada. Having a team like Calgary Wild FC competing at this level means that we can go see these games, and I can’t wait. It’s amazing to know that girls in soccer now have role models in the sport and inspirational women to look up to.

I can’t wait to watch these women compete, and they, and the Northern Super League, are going to bring so many more opportunities for girls in soccer.

Thanks Layla. We hope you enjoy the program!