Mya Jones could hardly believe the news as she stared at her phone.
Once she learned to kick a ball, her instincts drove her to a career in soccer. But even then the goal was to play in Europe or the United States.
A pro team? In Canada?
It seemed too far-fetched to even dream about.
Now, aspiring professional players like Jones and her Memphis Tigers teammate Grace Stordy will not only have the opportunity to play in their home country, they have a chance to stay in their hometown.
Calgary Foothills and the Vancouver Whitecaps – led by former Foothills member Steph Labbé – are the first two teams confirmed to join an as-yet-unknown professional Canadian women’s soccer league, which kicks off in two years.
The Project 8 company is led by two-time Olympic bronze medalist Diana Matheson, her business partner Thomas Gilbert and the greatest international goalscorer of all time: Christine Sinclair.
“Part of the reason I’m making the announcement so early is to let these players know it’s coming because they’re making decisions about their future, where to go to school, whether to keep playing,” Matheson said. .
“We want them to know that professional soccer is coming to Canada in 2025.”
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“To hear that there’s going to be a professional league in two years is amazing,” Jones said. “It is so in the near future that I obviously have something to strive for.
“I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to leaving home to play in Europe. But it’s really my only option. So hearing that I can actually stay here is comforting in some ways because I didn’t want to leave my family (and) my friends to do something I love.”
“I’m just really excited to see how it starts and where it ends,” Stordy said. “I have very high expectations, but also no expectations just because it’s something so new for us here. But I think this league will really open a lot of eyes for people around the world.”
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There is still a long way to go before Foothills will announce its first player signings.
The organization’s next steps focus on establishing an ownership group, attracting investors and finding a suitable location.
Deanna Zumwalt, Foothills’ director of women’s pro sports, said a number of interested parties have already reached out in hopes of finding a home for the team.
“We have an assessment to go through — what makes the most sense, what’s the most logical,” Zumwalt said. “I am confident that we will be able to attract and work together with the right ownership and investor group.
“We know what it’s going to take.”
ATCO Field, home of the Canadian Premier League’s Cavalry FC, can accommodate up to 6,000 fans at Spruce Meadows – just south of the city. The facility boasts a pristine Kentucky bluegrass turf.
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Foothills said it is not ruling out a partnership with the CPL, but is looking at all its options.
“Obviously, we’re not leading the way internationally in terms of football-specific stadiums,” Matheson noted.
“The Canadian Premier League has done an incredible job investing in infrastructure. Similar to what they did, we’re looking – ideally – at stadiums with 6,000 to 8,000 seats. Keep it small, keep it community-based and football-specific.”
Project 8 is also putting an emphasis on looking for female investors, coaches and medical staff in hopes of providing another professional path of sorts.
The league aims to add two more teams in the west and four in the east, with the final six teams expected to be announced in 2023.
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