Women’s professional soccer league aims to give girls a future in sport

Girls growing up playing soccer in Calgary will soon be able to pursue their dream of playing for the local team. Or maybe own it.

Calgary Foothills Soccer Club held a press conference on Friday to discuss plans to join a new Canadian women’s professional soccer league.

Announced earlier this month, the league has yet to be named, but is aiming to host its inaugural season in 2025 with eight teams competing.

Foothills is one of the league’s founding teams. The other is Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Former Women’s National Soccer Team member and Olympic medalist Diana Matheson helps build the Calgary team with her business partners at Project 8 Sports.

Matheson says the talent in Canadian women’s soccer is world class and Calgary is a good candidate for the professional league.

“Obviously there’s a huge sporting culture here,” she said. “Again, I think it’s the Olympic capital of Canada. This club is community-based and it’s come from scratch, which is incredible.”

Deanna Zumwalt, director of women’s professional sport at the club, says community support will be essential as work is underway to develop the team over the next few years.

Additionally, Zumwalt said, the project is about inclusion, equality in sport and opportunities for women.

“Staying involved in the sport you love is going to become a reality,” she said. “It could very well be as a professional football player. It could be in the front office. It could be a team executive. It could work in so many different ways. It could be owning part of the team. “

While she planned to be drawn by a professional team in the United States, Stordy is now aiming to be one of the first professional league players in Canada.

“Now I have this [league]obviously my ultimate goal would be to come home and play football here,” she said.

There has been no word yet on a site for the Calgary team.

So far, league sponsors include Air Canada and CIBC.