Girl power was on display at McChesney Park in Port St. Lucie last month when about 100 young female soccer players gained knowledge and skills from some of sport’s best, including an Olympic gold medalist and an English international star.
The girls, ages 9 to 19, were divided into four groups, going station to station for 30-minute mini-seminars led by current and former female soccer players.
The groups learned an assortment of skills, some of which they got to demonstrate during the last hour when they went out to the fields and played together.
Girls in Soccer brought together girls and young women to learn, grow and compete in a positive, supportive environment.
The free, empowerment event was sponsored by the Florida Youth Soccer Association and local clubs including Hobe Sound and Mako Soccer Club.
A highlight for many of the girls was listening to Staci Wilson, a 1996 Olympic gold medal winner for Team USA, who ran one of the four stations.
“It was surreal,” said Wilson of her experience in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. “It was the first time they had women’s soccer at the Olympics.”
Wilson impressed the players with her stories, took questions and passed around her gold medal. At the end, many of the girls got their event T-shirts signed by the Olympian star.
“I didn’t really enjoy being in the spotlight. I liked being on a team,” Wilson said. “Being on a field together you get better no matter how talented you are.”
She also expressed the importance of “being somebody your teammates can rely on. Everyone was a good teammate. If someone has a good game, cheer them on. If someone has a bad game support them,” Wilson said.
“The Olympics was a great experience, but it was also emotional because I didn’t get as much play time as I’m used to.”
There were lots of questions from the girls with discussions about jumping, hand-eye coordination, and the pros and cons of playing other sports while striving for a soccer career.
Wilson, currently a soccer coach, used to play basketball with her dad and brother, and she did not discourage the girls from playing other sports, but advised them to be cautious.
“At some point, you have to become more serious about soccer. I think for me I just had a lot of energy to run off. Just pure love for the game, no one pushed me,” she said.
There are increasing opportunities in girls’ soccer with two professional leagues currently in the United States, according to Wilson. “I think there’s a lot more choices. There are so many more leagues now. It’s growing and growing.”
One young soccer player in the group hopes to one day be in Wilson’s shoes.
Mikayla Peart, 12, started playing soccer at the age of 3. “It’s fun, it’s a good sport for me,” said Peart, who plays three times a week throughout the year and dreams of being a professional player. “I’m fast and it’s a sport for people that are athletic.”
“Mikayla is most likely on the path to being an elite player with Mako,” said Alison Ashley von Euler, Mako Soccer Club director of coaching and one of the main organizers of the event, together with Iain Sanderson.
When not on the soccer field, Peart enjoys watching games on TV, especially Real Madrid. Her favorite players are Portuguese superstar Cristiano Rinaldo and Christen Press, a now-retired medalist who played on the U.S. Women’s National Team.
While they did not get to run around at all the mini-seminars, pertinent information from each was shared with the girls, who took it all in with enthusiasm.
Sports nutritionist Leslie Imhoff talked to the girls about nutrition. “You’re not just fueling your body to be better in soccer; you’re fueling your bodies to grow. When you’re hungry, eat; just make health-conscious decisions,” Imhoff explained in an interactive presentation that encouraged the girls to ask questions and participate.
“Don’t eat junk food, only eat healthy,” said one young girl participating in a discussion with Imhoff.
Advice for sweet treats for energy included eating honey sticks and applesauce. “Honey is a natural sugar. It’s good to eat,” said Imhoff, who also suggested that the athletes realize the importance of protein. “Protein and rest, rebuilds.”
Rebeca Coto, a former college soccer player currently of Iron Knight Gym in Port St. Lucie, talked to the girls about strength and conditioning, and gave them some hands-on training.
“We’re going to some warmup games and we’re going to do a workout,” said Coto, who divided the girls into groups to try exercises that helped with both strength and coordination.
“When you get tired you have to give that last 1 percent effort,” Coto said.
Gabby Pedraza, also a former soccer player, gave the girls advice about using social media to get their careers started. A highlight was when she showed them how to make videos of their playing by using a small drone.
“You can be good, you can be the best, but if no one is watching you, you’re not getting anywhere,” she said.
“You have to be very mindful about what you’re posting,” Pedraza emphasized, warning that recruiters will look at social media, and reminding the girls that what they post on social medial will be online forever, even if they delete it.
Julie Hemsley, a former English international soccer player, current soccer coach and Hobe Sound director of coaches, was also at Pedraza’s station.
“I started to play when I was 9 years old,” she said, explaining how girls in England were not allowed to play during those days. She would have to sneak out to play with boys, who later grudgingly gave her credit for her skill, she said. “You know that we didn’t really admit to it, but you were better than any of us.”
Hemsley said that the proudest day of her life was playing for her country, and told the girls to get to that level, “you’ve got to work hard, you have to believe in yourself, and you have to take the opportunity when you can.”
Like Wilson, Helmsley had some wares to show the girls – two special hats from her national team.
The last hour of the three-hour event included warmups and playing, with guidance from star players including Nicole Cowlette, a former Division I soccer player for Notre Dame and currently a rehabilitation physician and soccer coach.