In Real Life

How can we build a culture that better supports female participants?

DYK 2024 is an Olympic year?

...and that not only is Canada expected to medal, but NorWest Soccer has a player on the team? Renowned player: Jessie Fleming is a NorWest player. Home grown from U4 through U18 before she was selected to play for Canada by head coach John Herdman at age 17. 


#1 KNOW HER NAME

How many pro female soccer players can you name? How many more males can you name? That's what we thought.

So do some digging and put them on blast. The reporters may not be talking about them, but we can. Start with Canadian National Team players, like Striker Christine Sinclair or Midfielder; Jessie Fleming (from our own club)! 

Check out her story: Jessie Fleming - Canada Soccer, Jessie Fleming - Chelsea,
Jessie Fleming - Soccer Bible interview

“I chose to put my proceeds towards getting more women involved in leadership roles in football, which I think is important, especially as a woman in football myself. Just having coaches or people working on technical staff, even physios… just having women in that environment alongside men is important.” @_jessflem about joining @commongoalorg, 

Apply to the NW Jessie Fleming #ForFemales Subsidy if you are a female coach with us and are considering becoming Canada Soccer qualified for the player stage of development you want to coach.


#2 EDUCATE YOURSELF

What is Gender Equity? Why is it essential in Sport?

It's on you to inform yourself about these issues. Whether you're a player, coach, parent, male, female or non-binary person - this is an essential topic for all.

Some of our favourite resources:


#3 WATCH HER PLAY

The success of professional sports leagues is dependent on profit and a solid fan base. There won’t be a professional soccer league for young girls to strive toward unless we support it NOW. Young girls need to watch women play professionally, to better understand the game, and believe that there is a pathway for them to get there.

How can you follow/support?


#4 FOLLOW YOUR IDOLS

Social media is one of the easiest ways to directly show support, interact with, and follow your favourite female soccer players. Don’t know any? Start by following a National or Club Team account, and choose players that way. Not only will they earn more money through better endorsement deals, but you’ll demonstrate that there is a demand for professional women’s soccer.


#5 SUPPORT LOCAL TEAMS

Only the most elite athletes are fortunate enough to get paid to play soccer. The College/ University route is just as important a pathway for female athletes who can subsidize their education and continue to play the sport they love. We are fortunate to have a strong women’s program at the University of Western. Their season runs from Late August to Early November. If you’re a coach or parent of a female player, catch one of their next home games for free. Show support for female athletes while exposing your players to new role models.


#6 DONATE TO THE CAUSE

Globally, female athletes are fighting for equal pay. This era of women’s soccer has been shaped by several fierce battles for financial equality led by female athletes, such as players on the USWNT suing their federation, and Ada Hegerberg, the 2018 Ballon D’or Winner who is refusing to play in the World Cup for financial reasons.

On a more local scale, we accept donations to our #ForFemales program that subsidizes our Female Forward (only) CSA/NCCP coach and referee courses, as we work to increase female role models in our club and district.


#7 CONSIDER COACHING

“Female coaches are essential to a vibrant and effective sports system. Women bring unique and valuable perspectives, skills and approaches to coaching, and they are particularly important as visible role models for girls and young women.

Yet women are significantly underrepresented in coaching in Canada. Only 25% of coaches in Canada are female. The gap is even greater in many high-performance settings, including in university sports and national team coaching.” - CAAWS

Annually we hold a #ForFemales Learn to Train CSA/NCCP Coaching Course to increase the number of females on the bench with our female players.


#8 CONSIDER REFEREEING

Akin to Coaching, female match officials are a rare and essential piece to our game! We hold a #ForFemales Small-sided Games referee course annually to increase the number of females on the pitch for our female players. 


Reach out to us about anything on this page.
NorWest Soccer offers subsidies to support
females wanting to register for in club coach & referee courses!

"She has to see it to Be it!"

2020-21 Olympic Gold Team