Olympic Bronze Medalist Karina LeBlanc in Saskatoon for FIFA Live Your Goals Festival
Canada Soccer – Saskatchewan Soccer Association is pleased to announce that in partnership with Canada Soccer and FIFA, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 Legacy will continue with the hosting of a #LiveYourGoals Festival.
The SaskTel Sports Centre will be filled with the sights and sounds of close to 200 young girls and 60 volunteers, as the FIFA #LiveYourGoals Festival comes to Saskatoon on December 3rd. FIFA Live Your Goals is a global initiative that inspires girls and young women to achieve their goals in football through perseverance, fair play and teamwork – all while making new friends.
As part of the Canada 2015 Legacy Program, seven FIFA #LiveYourGoals Festivals were held from coast to coast between 2014 and 2015 with 1,315 girls having the opportunity to participate. The festivals were held in: Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ottawa, Ontario; Montréal, Québec; and Moncton, New Brunswick.
The afternoon clinic for young girls aged six to twelve will feature Olympic bronze medalist, former Women’s National Team goalkeeper and television personality, Karina LeBlanc. The clinic will also involve members of the Saskatchewan Regional Excel Program as leaders in training. This group of 40 young women will participate in a morning leadership session led by LeBlanc designed to provide the athletes with the skills to become leaders both on and off the field and have a positive impact on the next generation of soccer players.
“The FIFA #LiveYourGoals Festivals are particularly important as they inspire girls and young women to participate in the world’s most popular game and show that they can achieve their personal goals through soccer,” said Peter Montopoli, General Secretary, Canada Soccer. “We are excited to expand the clinic format for the first time-ever by having Karina LeBlanc conduct a leadership development session with the Regional Excel Centre participants to ensure that we are impacting young female players both on and off the field.”
“The Saskatchewan Soccer Association is thrilled to partner with Canada Soccer and FIFA to bring a #LiveYourGoals Festival to Saskatoon,” said Dave Nutt, Director of Soccer Operations, Saskatchewan Soccer Association. “Not only will this event provide a tremendous opportunity for young female athletes to meet, interact with, and be inspired by an icon of Canadian soccer, the support of young women in meaningful leadership roles will leave a lasting legacy on the soccer community. We look forward to welcoming Karina and to a wonderful event.”
“I am excited to be part of the first-ever FIFA #LiveYourGoals Festival that will also include a leadership development opportunity for high performance athletes,” said Karina LeBlanc. “These young women will demonstrate the ability to positively impact others through their leadership as we look to create more leaders more often.”
The event is set to kick off with the official participant march-in at 13.30 ET, including messages from the Honorable Ken Cheveldayoff, Minister of Parks, Culture, and Sport for Saskatchewan, Lisa Bagonluri, Vice-President, Saskatchewan Soccer Association and Karina herself. Through a series of skill and game stations, young girls from all over of Saskatchewan will have the opportunities to develop their skills, be taught by Saskatchewan’s young and upcoming female soccer leaders, and be inspired by a Canadian soccer icon.
For further details about the event of the media opportunities, contact Jennifer Ellarma, Coordinator of Communications and Funds Development for the Saskatchewan Soccer Association at ccfd@sasksoccer.com or +1 306.519.9093.
About Canada Soccer
Canada Soccer, in partnership with its membership and its partners, provides leadership in the pursuit of excellence in soccer, both at the national and international levels. Canada Soccer not only strives to lead Canada to victory, but also encourages Canadians to a life-long passion for soccer. For more details on Canada Soccer, visit the official website at canadasoccer.com.
Media Contacts
| Richard Scott |
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Men’s National Teams Program |
| Carrie Croft |
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Women’s National Teams Program |
| Brad Fougere |
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Corporate Communications |