Kingston, Ontario witnessed a gathering of some of its most promising young female soccer talents this past Sunday, as they eagerly participated in a coaching and playing clinic organized by the Bank of Montreal (BMO).
In a groundbreaking move, BMO expanded its “Girls Play On” soccer clinic to Kingston for the very first time. This event was tailored to educate and inspire girls between the ages of 15 and 17, teaching them both coaching skills and the joy of playing the sport. Following a morning filled with learning, these young women had the opportunity to put their newfound expertise into practice by working with groups of younger girls.
Marra Stanistreet, a camp participant at just 15 years old, emphasized the importance of igniting passion for soccer at a young age.
She shared her motivation, saying, “I think it’s really important to start that passion really young because that was me when I was younger. I want to show younger players kind of what it’s like at my age.”
Despite her youth, Stanistreet already possesses some coaching experience and expressed her desire to serve as a role model for younger players, particularly those as young as eight.
She added, “I would love to be a role model for, like, eight-year-olds, that would be pretty cool. I’m like the youngest in my age, I was born in December, so I always even looked up to people my own age.”
One of the key challenges in advancing women’s soccer in Canada is sustaining girls’ interest in the sport beyond their youth. Robyn Gmeindl, Ontario Soccer’s marketing, partnerships, and events manager, underscored the focus of the clinic and its emphasis on teaching coaching skills. She explained, “A lot of times, we’ve noticed that they start dropping out of the sport, so if we can give them something else to do other than play, then the likelihood of them sticking with the game is that much higher.”
Kingston was just one of five stops on this year’s clinic tour, which also included Aurora, Vaughan, Niagara Falls, and London. Gmeindl expressed her enthusiasm for the remarkable passion displayed by participants throughout the summer. She noted, “They’re really, really passionate about sharing their love of the game with the younger generation, and that’s coming across just in such a loud amount. We’re absolutely seeing that that’s what they want.”
Much like soccer legends Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson, Stanistreet is excited about contributing to the growth of the sport for the generations following her.
She stated, “I’ve only had one female coach, so I think it would be good for me to when I’m done playing, maybe move forward with coaching.” Clinics like “Girls Play On” play a vital role in realizing this dream.
Originally posted 2023-09-15 01:36:16.
