May ended with a bang as the new Northern Super League and Calgary Wild FC were both announced.

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 supported Project 8 from the very beginning. It’s a proud moment for the Club to see our involvement play a part in establishing the new League.

Read more about the Northern Super League (NSL) announcement here, and the Calgary Wild FC here.

Diana Matheson will be at the July 6 UWS Home Game at Broadview Park!

On July 6, Diana Matheson, founder of the NSL, will attend our UWS team’s last home game of the season against FC Arizona. Don’t miss your chance to hear Diana speak about the latest NSL and Calgary Wild news (including a special reveal and activation.) Get your tickets for the game today!

Have you signed up for the Calgary Wild’s upcoming newsletter? Be among the first to hear the latest news (including merchandise availability!) Here’s the link.  

And don’t forget to follow the team on Instagram at @calgarywildfc.

*** Excerpts from Lee Tucker’s talk at the May 28 Calgary Wild FC Press Conference

“There are players that I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with now or have had in the past that have not been able to pursue their dreams at home, well – now they can, right here, right now….in Alberta. With the launch of our very own NSL team here in Calgary, players have an opportunity to experience professional soccer within the province.

I remember having a conversation with a parent of a player that I had the pleasure of working with, stating that one day, we would be able to bring her home to play professional soccer in Calgary. That dream is now a reality.

I have a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old who, in the past couple of years, have had the flame ignited, developing a passion for the game. It’s incredible to think that they will know a world where professional women’s soccer exists in their home city.

The opportunities are real. The time is now and there will be some amazing times ahead…some may even say – Wild times!” 

*** Excerpts from Sarah Kinzner’s talk about the Northern Super League

“My name is Sarah Kinzner and I am a born and raised Calgarian who loves playing soccer. I grew up playing for various clubs in the city, represented Canada on the youth national teams, played division 1 soccer in the NCAA and I am currently a member of the Foothills WFC team.

The launch of the Northern Super League in Canada is something many players have dreamed about our entire lives. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to play professional soccer, but I never knew exactly what that looked like and I didn’t know all of the steps that would be needed to get there. As I got older, it was a sad realization that if I wanted to pursue my dream to play pro, I would have to move away from home and travel to the States or overseas. For some players this is no big deal, but for others, this is a deal breaker and is a big reason why many female Canadian players have had to end their careers early.

Even when many of us do go overseas to play, it is sometimes not the experience we envisioned, and it can be quite isolating, especially if you go to a team where there are significant language barriers. This is something I experienced firsthand while I was playing in Europe.

The launch of the Northern Super League will create the opportunity for Canadian women to live out their dreams and to compete at the top level in front of their friends and family right here in Canada. It will give female players the opportunity to inspire the next generation of athletes and provide the next generation with a clear pathway of how to get there themselves.

It is so important for young players to watch and learn the game, and being able to see and speak with their role models in person will allow girls to remain in sport longer and push the quality of Canadian women’s soccer to the next level.

In 2015, I had the honour of representing our country at the U20 FIFA World Cup here in Canada. One of my favourite parts of the tournament was seeing the excitement in the young athletes attending the game and getting an opportunity to connect with them. The NSL is already generating that same spark and will empower women across the nation by ensuring gender equality in sport.

Sport is a powerful platform that can connect people from all backgrounds, and I am excited to see how it unites not just Calgarians but people from across our country.” 

***

Alberta Soccer Association’s High-Performance Program Is in Full Swing.

Earlier this year, the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA) launched a new high-performance program (HPP) designed to support high-potential youth players in taking their next steps toward achieving recognition on a national level.

Foothills is very involved in supporting the HPP, providing our Macron Performance Centre and coaching and training staff, and a number of our Academy members are part of the program. However, be assured that this is an ASA initiative and open to all female players regardless of club affiliation. The program is initially for players born in 2008, 2007, and 2006; however, some 2009-born players may be included.

The program is fielding a team in League1 Alberta. Greg de Carnys is the head coach. You can see their upcoming game schedule and standings here.