Christine Sinclair has always wanted to leave soccer in a better place for future players.

The Canadian legend believes her latest role as part owner of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 new professional womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer team will do just that.

Vancouver Rise FC announced Monday that Sinclair is joining Greg Kerfoot in the clubB次元官网网址檚 ownership group as the National Super League prepares to launch in April.

B次元官网网址淭he future of soccer in Canada depends on the Northern Super League, depends on clubs like Vancouver Rise,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said on a video call. B次元官网网址淎nd IB次元官网网址檓 honoured and privileged to be a part of it.B次元官网网址�

Kids need to see womenB次元官网网址檚 professional sports to know that they, too, can play for a living, the soccer star said.

B次元官网网址淚 think of myself as like a 10-year-old, if I had the opportunity to go watch womenB次元官网网址檚 professional soccer every second weekend, how that would have impacted my life, how that would have changed my life,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said.

B次元官网网址淏ecause I was convinced I was going to be a major-league baseball player because thatB次元官网网址檚 all I could see on TV. These young girls growing up will have a completely different reality.B次元官网网址�

Hailing from Burnaby, B.C., Sinclair is one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most revered athletes and ended her international career last year as the worldB次元官网网址檚 top goal scorer with 190 goals.

She helped the womenB次元官网网址檚 national team win gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and bronze at both the 2016 Games in Rio and the 2012 Games in London.

Last month, the 41-year-old Sinclair announced that she will retire from professional soccer later this year after playing her 11th season with the Portland Thorns of the National WomenB次元官网网址檚 Soccer League.

The Thorns are set to play the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite team in a CONCACAF W Champions Cup match at B.C. Place in Vancouver on Oct. 15 before closing the regular season campaign on Nov. 1.

Being unable to play professional soccer for a Vancouver team is one regret that Sinclair said will linger as her playing days come to a close.

B次元官网网址淭hat would have been a dream,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭hat would have been a dream,B次元官网网址� said Sinclair, who previously played semi-pro soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the USL W-League. B次元官网网址滲ut when you know youB次元官网网址檙e done, youB次元官网网址檙e done. And IB次元官网网址檓 gladly hanging up the boots at the end of this season.B次元官网网址�

Rise sporting director Stephanie Labbe admitted she hoped she would see her former national team teammate don a Vancouver jersey, but understood SinclairB次元官网网址檚 decision.

B次元官网网址淚 know all too well that feeling of when youB次元官网网址檙e ready to retire, youB次元官网网址檙e ready to retire and move on to whatB次元官网网址檚 next,B次元官网网址� Labbe said. B次元官网网址淪o it was a quick change of direction from, B次元官网网址榃ell, if youB次元官网网址檙e not coming as a player, what else can you do? How else can we get you involved?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a no-brainer for me to have Sinc involved in the club in some capacity.B次元官网网址�

Launching a new league is nothing new for Sinclair. She was involved when the now-defunct WomenB次元官网网址檚 Professional Soccer made its debut in 2009, and when the NWSL began in 2013.

Those experiences have shown whatB次元官网网址檚 important for a new league, she said, from how much players are paid to how many teams are included.

B次元官网网址淚 think previous leagues started way too big and then werenB次元官网网址檛 able to sustain themselves,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said. B次元官网网址淚 think what the Northern Super League is doing is starting at a realistic base.B次元官网网址�

With six founding teams in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax, the NSL is set to kick off its inaugural season in April. Each team is set to play a 25-game schedule next year.

Labbe said she expects Rise will announce the clubB次元官网网址檚 first player signings and head coach in the next several weeks.

Sinclair declined to say what her ownership percentage will be, calling it instead B次元官网网址渁 small chunkB次元官网网址� and saying her role will be to bring awareness to the club and help it grow.

B次元官网网址淲hatever they need from me, IB次元官网网址檒l be there to help support,B次元官网网址� she said.

The appetite and support for womenB次元官网网址檚 sports is growing, Sinclair said, so joining the NSL B次元官网网址渕akes perfect sense.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he time is now for womenB次元官网网址檚 sports,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚f you go across Canada B次元官网网址� obviously we did with the national team B次元官网网址� people are begging to be able to watch professional sports here in Canada, womenB次元官网网址檚 professional sports.B次元官网网址�