| Pitching in |
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| Written by Kathryn McMackin |
| Friday, 05 February 2010 19:48 |
Youth soccer tournament connects young players with role modelsThe Subway Soccer Centre in Calgary was full of activity last weekend as Calgary’s best young soccer players competed against one another during the Shane Homes All Star Sunday event. Heather Moloney played in her first all-star game on Sunday. Moloney first enrolled in soccer as a seven-year-old and currently plays as a forward for the NorthStar Attitude GU18 team. “It’s just someplace to come and all you have to concentrate on is soccer,” said Moloney about the significance of having soccer in her life. “I like that.” 
Scholarship winner Heather May Moloney and her all-star game coach, Joanna Ng, discuss everything from soccer to university preparation following the game on Jan. 31.
Photo: Kathryn McMackin/ Calgary Journal
Moloney was one of the recipients of a $500 scholarship. Scholarship winners were chosen based on their ability on the soccer field. The 17-year-old senior at Sir Winston Churchill High School plans to take a year off after graduation before enrolling in a kinesiology program. Moloney, along with the other participants, had the opportunity to work with role models – local university and college student athletes – who were acting as team coaches during the tournament. Joanna Ng, a former member of the University of Calgary Dinos, was asked to be one of this year’s role models. The 23-year-old, who graduated with a business degree in December, said that giving back to the soccer community has always been a big priority, not only for her, but for the entire varsity girls soccer team at the U of C. “It’s really important for us to step out into the community and get people involved,” Ng said. “We don’t have professional teams here, and we don’t have that next level that a lot of places do. It’s important for us to become that person.” For Ng, the most essential message that she could pass on to the young players is the significance of being a student athlete. “It’s sports, but you also have your schooling and your social life,” Ng said. “It’s really important to have that balanced lifestyle, whether as a professional, a student athlete, or at a grassroots level.” Time management also factors into the equation, said Ng, adding that education has to be the top priority all the time. “If you can balance your athletics in there, great. At the same time, we understand that it’s a huge load for some people. It’s not for everyone,” Ng said. Daryl Leinweber, the executive director of the Calgary Minor Soccer Association, said that the tournament gives role models a chance to give back to the game, while exposing the young players to a particular quality of play. “The players never have an opportunity to play with the best of the best,” Leinweber said. “It’s one game, it’s fun, and it lets them see what it’s like to play with other players of their calibre.” With her university years quickly approaching, Moloney remains unsure of where soccer will fit into her future. “I don’t know, I might try out for soccer in university,” Moloney said. “But it’s a lot, on top of (everything else) you’re doing. I’ll definitely play (in a) women’s league.” |
