11
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014
chats with...
ERIN McLEOD
X Veteran goalie and St. Albert native humbled to be one of the faces of women’s soccer in Canada St. Albert native Erin McLeod is a goalkeeper on the Canadian national women’s soccer team, which is preparing to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup next summer. McLeod played the full 90 minutes in goal on Saturday as Canada lost 3-0 to the 2011 World Cup champions and 2012 Olympic silver medallists from Japan at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The T he nati tional wom menn’s ttea eaam ha hass be been en pla l yi yinng a lot of games in Toronto andd Vancoouv uver lat atel ely. yy.. How ow did it feeel to be back in Edmoon ontoon? n? Itt was awesome. It’s nice to ccom om me ba back ck ttoo Edmoont n on. My two grandmothers were in the sta tand ndds we w ar ariing “McL cLLEO E D 1” 1 jerseys! Itt’s never a dull moment in St. Al A be bert r . It rt It’ss nicee to t be arrou o nd faamily, and I think it’s impor orta t nt forr Albberrta ssoccce cer. I hhad ad a chhance to do a little clin inic ic tthheree, and annd itt’ss jjus ust coool to conn nnect wi where I greew up and ffor the you with oung ng kids k to see e thaat a kiid frrom o St. Albert can ma make ke iitt to thee nat atio ional team m.
How impo port rtan antt ar aree ma matc tche hes like thhe one aga gain inst st J Jap apan a as you preparee fo f r ne next xt ssum umme m r’ rs Worldd Cu Cup? p? Playingg th thee re reig igni ning ng w wor orld ld champpion pionss at hhom omee (i (iss im mpo port rtan ant) t) and geett ttinng us used ed to th thee fa fans ns — nnot ot the weeat a he herr neece cess ssar arililyy [l [lau augh ghs] s] — and ju just st the atm tmos osph phere. e We’ e re r playingg toopp ti t er tea eams ms ggam amee in aand nd game out nnow ow,, wh whic ichh is ggre reat at.. We We’v ’ve been abl ble to pla layy re real ally ly wel elll ag agai ains nstt teams thatt are r ranke k d in the h top o 220, 0 and noow we’re in the top 10. To bee able too pl p ay an oppoosing style in our style iss goi o ng to be the he nex e t step for us if we want to win a World Cup, which we do.
On the Canada Soccer website home page, on one side is Christine Sinclair,, and on the other is a photo p of you. y How does itt ffee e l to be one of the fac aces es ooff women’ss soocc ccer in Canada? Chri rist stin ine Sinclaair, she’s the be best st eexa x mple of a ro role model el aand a leadeer on this tea eam. m She’s so humble. An Andd to even be puut in that catteg egory with her is an hoonour. I’ve been kickinng ar arou o nd forr 13 years, I guess, and I’m pprooud o to literaally just be a part of thi hiss te team. Thhe hu h man beings, the friendshiips, i and justt the h character of somee of thesee pe peop oplee that I get to work witth day in and day out, the honour and the privi vileege is all mine.
Loook oking at your ouur personal webs we bsite (erinm nmcl cleo eodd.ne eo net), I seeee you’ yo u re also qu quit ite the aarrti tist! Is it tou o gh som met etim imes to st stri rike ke a b la ba l nce annd fin findd ti t me for youurr arrt betweeen al alll yo your soccer c mmitments?? co I me meet et reg egularlyy with thhe sppor orts ts psychoolo logi gist st wit withh ou ourr te team am, an andd hhee alwa al wayys asks me if I’Ive bee eenn do doin ingg any a art, ar t, bbec ecau ause se if if I ha have ven’ n’tt be been en doi oinngg a y ar an a t, I’vve been doing way a tooo m muuch u s cc so ccer er. It’s his way ay to chec eck inn annd make ma ke sur ure I’’m ma makiing time. Inn thaat rega re g rd rd,, ar a t is inccre r diibly im mportannt forr my gro fo rowt wth ass a soccer pllayer, and a some so meth thinng I’I’vee alw lway ayss be been en pas assiionnnate abou ab out. t
“I think it’s a really exciting time to be a soccer player Oveerr the Ov he pas a t de d ca c dee or so so,, th thee soocc ccer er ssce c ne n in Ca C na n dda in this country.” hhaas ch c an a ggeed ddrram mattic ically ical ly, with t more ga game m s onn TV annd
Well,, another otherr thing ing yyoou ha have ve to ge get ussed e to iss pla layi ayin ying yi ng onn FieldT i ldd urf. f A lot l t hhass beeen madee of th thee deeci c sion on ttoo play a the Worl r d Cuup on an ar arti tific ficia i l surf r ac ace. e Froom a go goalkeepper’s p rs pe rspe pecttive, e, how doees itt aff ffec ectt th thee gaame m for or you?? TThe ga game’ss jjus ust a lilitt ttle le dif iffereent on tu turff iinn th thee se s ns nse off .... hhow ow w true tr uee tthe he bbou ounc nces ess aare re,, th thee sk skip ippi p ng pi ng. So Some meti me t mees it ccan ti an bbee a qu q icckeer game on tturf.f I th thinkk I see it as a lilitt thi little tl dif different if t andd a llittle ittll ffaster t at times, and it takes a little bit of adjusting.
moore m re prroofe fess fess ssio siioonnaal teams. How havee youu se seen en tthe he ggam amee evvoollve ve ove ver yo your u 13 3 ye year arss wi with th tthe he nnat atio iona nall te team am??
Thheerre’ e’s ’s be bee een en more off a commi mitm tmen entt fr from om N Nor orth th AAme meri r ca iinn ge gennneeeral; thhe U.S. has as hhad a a lott of successs, but ut CCannad adaa hass st step eppe pedd upp. N Noow o wee hav avee 16 playe y rs with coontracts playinng in tthe he N NWS WSL. L. TThe here re’ss more m o a com of o mitment to play pprrof ofesssi sion onal ally ly aand nd ttha hatt’ss ob obvi viou ousl slyy to m make us directly betterr soc occeer play a ers. s Whe hen I wa wass fir first st jjoi oini ning ng tthe he teaaam, t er th eree wa wass ju j st the nat atioonaal te team am;; if you mad adee it it, th t at w was as it. it. ...... ( ow (N ow), ) proofe fess ssio iona nalilism sm gglo loba ballllyy ha hass in incr creaased for me men an a d wo wom meeen. I m thhiinnk itt’ss a rea eallyy ex exci ciiti t ng ttim imee to bbee a so socccerr pla laye yeer inn thi hiss co couunntry.
For more information on the FIFA Women’s World Cup, including ticket information for matches taking place in Edmonton, visit www.fifa.com/womensworldcup or www.canadasoccer.com. Photo: Sun Media News Services