Growing the Game
The Sherwood Park Phoenix Football Club’s Women’s Tier 4 program is excited to continue it’s role of providing women a safe and fun place to play the game they love; and to grow to meet new players.
We had players of all ages, ranging from 16 into our forties, players who had been playing since youth, or had never played before, and players from all levels of the game. It’s a place where we can show up as our fierce, competitive selves, but with empathy for our teammates, opponents and officials. We could all leave a game feeling challenged, competent, and a part of something great.
What made this feel so different, was that it wasn’t about just your team. It was about the bigger community; a league of amazing women. Many of the players knew each other and there was some fun rivalry, but the emphasis was on fun. Players stayed and played a second game when another team was short. We shared trialists and helped each other.
As we head into our next indoor season, we have league growth in mind. We welcome all women, any ability, background, situation… If you have a willingness to play, learn or become part of a team, we have a place for you here. We have a space where competition and kindness coexist and we want to share it more: building character, supporting athletes, growing soccer, and offering women a safe space to show up exactly as who we are.
See you on the pitch!
Amanda Smith & Jacquie Surgenor
Imagine arriving at a place where you can be your authentic self, welcomed by others as their authentic selves, ready to compete with or against you for a fleeting moment of reprieve from your collectively chaotic lives. As a woman, this place can be a solace; as an athlete, safe and rewarding; as a human, enriching for mind and body.
This is the environment we are trying to build in our recreational women’s league here at Phoenix FC. And so far, I think we’re doing alright. Jacquie and I began chatting about this league when she joined one of my teams on the bench during our last indoor season. She saw potential in the league for what soccer could mean for women and loved the team cultures that each team had built. Together, we committed to building a league for a short outdoor season, and gathering 52 women, to field four teams, playing with and against each other.
Apart from inclement weather affecting much of our season, it was an overall huge success! Our teams were competitive against each other - you couldn’t tell who would win a match one way or the other. We avoided any major injuries and played out the season without a single card issued! But, here’s the best part: we all supported each other as a whole. We celebrated great plays, goals and saves from our teammates AND our opponents. We laughed, picked each other up, amicably heckled each other and our officials, and had so much fun!
