Ask any of the women playing in Canada Soccer Futsal Canadian Championship and they’ll all tell you they know the significance of being part of a history-making event.
“I think it’s an honour to be here, knowing it’s the first national futsal championship,” says Charlise Harris of Team B.C. “Being an Indigenous person from B.C., we don’t get to be a part of something like this very often. Opportunities like this don’t just come. We all worked our butts off to be here.”
“Honestly, it’s an awesome opportunity,” says Allison Kolly who plays for Team Manitoba. “I know growing up for myself you didn’t really hear about women playing professionally or even at a high competitive level like this so it’s so cool to finally see this happening.”
Eight teams representing British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Nunavut, Ontario, and Quebec are battling to be crowned the first ever women’s national futsal champion.
Team Ontario knows what’s at stake and head coach Nico Martinez always reminds them the meaning of being the first. Born in Uruguay, he subtly points out his home country was the first to win the World Cup in 1930.
“For these girls it’s one of the things that gets them motivated,” Martinez says. “They didn’t have this ever so for them it’s a big deal. To be the first to win would be, for us very, very good.”
Destiny Whitney is the acting general manager of the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex & Chief Jim Starlight Centre, which hosted the tournament. She is excited about giving the women the spotlight they don’t normally get.
“I think representation first and foremost seeing athletes compete, women compete,” Whitney says. “It’s passion, and watching them with emotion. You don’t get that a lot and it’s very competitive. Any time you can, athlete to athlete, see that, that’s where the respect is.”
Tags: Canada Soccer, Female Referee, Futsal, Futsal Calgary, Futsal Canada, Soccer, Women's Futsal, Women's Soccer