Canada’s Olympic gold leaving huge impact on Huskies women’s soccer

“I think when we look at the national team, it serves as an ecosystem that always feeds each other. It definitely motivates girls to continue to push the envelope and reach higher than we’ve done in the past. I think it will absolutely inspire a lot of younger girls to want to take up soccer and want to get to the next level.”

Hamilton said, however, this is just the beginning of growing the sport for women.

“It’s massive, the potential that women’s soccer has in this country and I don’t even think that we’ve scratched the surface. In Canada there is no professional level in the game yet, so having said that, U Sports becomes one of the highest levels for women’s soccer in the country.”

Hamilton believes Team Canada’s success will provide realization for his own student athletes that pursuing a professional career, wherever it may be, is not just a fairytale anymore.

“I think over the next three to five years, if we continue to have the success that we’ve had, all of a sudden girls are wanting to extend their career and play professionally overseas or in Canada and it’s starting to become a possibility that even two or three years ago was kind of a pipe dream,” Hamilton said. “Why not have female players use soccer as their main source of income or opportunity? Now our players see that and their mindset changes.”

As far as how the Olympic gold will affect the Huskies this season, Hamilton said its given the team a vision for a similar outcome in their own journey.

“Saskatchewan has never won a national championship for soccer and Canada hadn’t won a gold medal [until Tokyo], so that’s how we equate it, to be on the same path that Canada did and win our own medal. We’re using it as motivation that it’s possible.”

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by Ben Tompkins

Canada’s Olympic gold leaving huge impact on Huskies women’s soccer

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