It was a fall day fit for soccer as women across a wide range of ages and abilities celebrated the Beautiful Game with Female Soccer Day 2017 in Saanich Sunday.
B次元官网网址淭he sport [soccer] is such a positive outlet for girls and women,B次元官网网址� said Julie Ainsworth, a coach with , who organized the event. B次元官网网址淚t has been such a huge part all throughout my life, and it has been very important to both encourage my daughters, and other females in the community to take part.B次元官网网址�
About 70 youth aged four to 17, and up to six adults participated in the various parts of the event, which consisted out of skills clinics for players and coaching skills for the adults. Members of the University of Victoria Vikes womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer team, the Vancouver Island Wave soccer club, and , a former Prospect Lake Soccer club member, with a bright future for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 senior womenB次元官网网址檚 national team, joined as guest coaches. B.C. Soccer provided financial support.
SundayB次元官网网址檚 event happened against a complex backdrop. Soccer B次元官网网址� the most played sport among Canadian children aged five to 14, B次元官网网址� ranks among the most popular sport for girls. In 2010, 42 per cent of girls played the game. Not surprisingly, Canada ranks among the global elite on the womenB次元官网网址檚 side of the worldB次元官网网址檚 most popular sport. But interest in the sport among girlsB次元官网网址� as with all sports B次元官网网址� drops in the later teenage years,
Ainsworth said SundayB次元官网网址檚 event represent a response to this phenomenon.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a big part of it actually,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪omething just outside this day, weB次元官网网址檙e trying to encourage that mentorship and that leadership within our girls.B次元官网网址�
Soccer, she said, does not just inspire camaraderie. B次元官网网址淚t is a really positive way to improve your confidence, to improve self-esteem, and other I think other women are other womenB次元官网网址檚 best champions,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e have a wonderful way of supporting each other, and encouraging each other, and that is what this day is about.B次元官网网址�
One important aspect of SundayB次元官网网址檚 event was the clinic for aspiring female coaches. While Ainsworth could not give specific figures, her own experience suggests women make up a small part of the coaching fraternity, a considerable disconnect if you consider the number of girls and women playing the sport.
B次元官网网址淚 do know from the coaching courses that I have taken over the years, usually in a room full of coaches, say 30 coaches, there may be two female [coaches],B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪o it is unique and special to see programs that encourage female-only coaching clinics. For whatever reasons, the numbers are lower for female coaches. But I think female coaches can play a very important role in the development of youth players, and understand female players in a different way than may be a male coach might.B次元官网网址�
Ainsworth for her part is not entirely sure why so few women go into coaching. B次元官网网址淲omen by nature wear lots of different hats, and lots of different roles in their lives,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of them are quite busy, and may be donB次元官网网址檛 feel they have the time to devote to it. May be itB次元官网网址檚 a confidence thing, not knowing that it is something they can actually do, and take on that leadership role.B次元官网网址�
SundayB次元官网网址檚 event in turn tries to instill the belief that they can do it, said Ainsworth.
Role-models, whether they play professionally or for national programs, can also be influential and SundayB次元官网网址檚 event gave local youth female players an up-close look at how far they can go in the game. Cathro, a former Prospect Lake product, was 15 years old, when she debuted for the Canadian youth program in 2015. In 2016, she played for Canada at the FIFA U-17 womenB次元官网网址檚 world cup in Jordan, and promises to feature prominently with senior womenB次元官网网址檚 national team, after having receiving her first-call up this year.
