National spotlight important for soccer players, growth in Bow Valley

BOW VALLEY – A path many young athletes in the Bow Valley usually must eventually consider is seeing what options there are elsewhere.

For families supporting those dreams, kilometres rack up on parents’ vehicles, vacations are sacrificed, time and money get pooled into a new sports pot, and the marker of success will undoubtedly vary.

In the case of three local soccer players – Mary Huggill, Sisi Steel and Stella Geestman – the commitment to travelling to Calgary and beyond for practices, games and tournaments has been more than time spent on the road, but also a community willing to help the growth of young women in sport. 

That effort is paying off as they, and their families, are in Edmonton soaking in the Player-Development Program (PDP) Championship this week (Aug. 14-18) as part of the Calgary Rangers. The U17 team will compete in a scouted six-team tournament against the nation’s best and is the highest level of competition for that age group in the country.

Coming from a small town, where they were developed in the grassroots system, the players and families recognize the huge achievement to be there.

“It is really special because it shows how far we’ve come and accomplished from playing in Canmore and then being able to go all the way to [Alberta Player Development League],” said centre midfielder Geestman.

“I think it is a really big accomplishment for all of us and … it’s gonna be really important and really special.”

The local trio have participated in the sport for basically as long as they can remember in Canmore, playing in house leagues together, and occasionally on boys’ teams. 

“It’s definitely sad because this is our last away tournament with the team,” said wide midfielder Steel. “We’ve had so much help from everyone around like it definitely shows.”

Due to age, the PDP Championship will likely be the final time the girls lace up and play on the field together. However, getting to this stage has been a triumph of its own.

Two years ago when the three girls joined the Rangers, the team was in the basement of the Alberta Player Development League (APDL), a nine-team league which has the best players in the province play against each other. For those two seasons, with carpools back and forth to Calgary, the lowly team has transformed into being the second best in the province.

Perhaps their biggest victory came two weeks ago during a must-win scenario in order to make it to PDP. In a game that went down to the wire, the Rangers edged out Southwest United 3-2.

Huggill said there was pressure riding on the game; Steel said it was stressful but they were committed to win; and Geestman said it was the team’s biggest struggle, but also one of their biggest achievements.

“We had to regain confidence, build a new process around our team, build up a new formation … but it was also one of our biggest successes because it did lead to us being able to go to nationals,” said Geestman. “It was a really good experience of us learning how to work together and bring out  the best parts of every player.”

The Rangers will be somewhat of an underdog at nationals against the other five teams and are in a pool group with the provincial champs from British Columbia and Quebec.

The local athletes aren’t certain they’ll walk away with the medal at the championship, but the excitement of being there together to take on the country’s finest is a motivating factor.

“I’m looking forward to being able to play teams from other provinces,” said Huggill, a midfielder. One of the defensive-minded players on the team, Huggill said keeping possession of the ball and waiting for the perfect moment to strike is one of the team’s strong suits.

As time passes

Looking at two photos 10 years apart, Marc Geestman lets out an amused laugh when he spots a few Bow Valley soccer players in both of them.

In the older, foggier snapshot, a group of baby-faced youth, no older than seven, huddle together for a team shot wearing yellow Canmore jerseys.

Three of those athletes – Huggill, Steel and his daughter Stella – have their arms around each other in the newer pic, taken earlier this week, and are now wearing the white kits of the Rangers.

“They’re toothless and smiling … and then the picture from [this week] it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, now they’re like little women,’” said Geestman, who’s an assistant coach with the Rangers and has been helping their progression in the sport from Canmore to Calgary for many years.

“Girls soccer is the largest [sport played by girls] in Canada and for us to come from a small town and be able to have three girls represented [at PDP] is pretty significant.”

Geestman, who’s in the background of the older photo as a coach, has been part of their development over the years. In Alberta, when soccer players reach 13 or 14, and if they have the skills, it’s entirely possible for scouts to recruit them to the APDL.

“It’s pretty much like scouting all of Tier 1, Tier 2 and then they find the best players and just try to recruit them almost like it’s a professional team and then they play against each other,” Geestman said.

In a reflection of the athletes and his own progress in the sport, Geestman has also raised the bar and gone through the ranks in coaching from regional to provincial to national levels following their footsteps and growing with them

“It is very emotional because literally, they forced me to keep upgrading my coaching levels because you can’t just coach at this level like you have to get certified and jump through a bunch of hoops to even be able to coach at the national level,” he said. “So it’s like they pushed me and I’ve pushed them and it’s a massive, massive accomplishment by them for sure.”

Stephen Steel, past president of the Canmore Minor Soccer Club (CMSC) and father of Sisi, said it’s been a long road for the girls, but he’s proud of their focus and determination over the years.

One of the mandates of CMSC is to create pathways to help players excel and enjoy their playing experience at every level.  

“Over the years, there have been many volunteers and coaches at the Club that have helped along the way. So this is also a shout out to them and their commitment to the sport and to the community,” said Steel in an email. “Anything is possible and having these great players and fabulous young women lead the way and help others in the Club is truly amazing.”