A longtime St. Albert coach has received a provincial award for her work to help youths get better at soccer.
St. Albert Soccer Association (SASA) technical director Alesha Weicker-Pasternak received the Alberta Soccer Association’s Woman of Distinction Award on Feb. 22, 2025. The award recognizes a woman’s outstanding achievements and contribution to leading, administrating, coaching, officiating, and/or playing soccer in Alberta, and this year consisted of an elaborate glass sculpture.
A St. Albert native, Weicker-Pasternak has worked for SASA for eight years and coached with them for about 20. In her younger years, she played for St. Francis Xavier High and Concordia University, helping the latter win nationals in 2009 as the team’s scoring MVP.
SASA executive director Chris Spaidal said this award highlights Weicker-Pasternak’s dedication to helping players and coaches of all ages excel at soccer, whether they be preschoolers or university students.
“She’s one who always puts kids firsts and members first,” he said, and someone who will never give up on a player until she’s helped them past stumbling blocks in their development.
Spaidal said Weicker-Pasternak might be the most organized person he’s ever met and excelled at planning ahead.
“She was probably the most respected finisher [goal-scorer] in the early 2000s at the college level,” he said, and one of the most dangerous female players he ever coached against in college soccer.
Weicker-Pasternak puts a lot of heart into SASA and was an important role model for women players, said Jen Henderson, whose daughter plays with the club.
“She’s so invested in seeing kids grow in the game.”
Weicker-Pasternak said she was humbled to receive this award, and hoped to continue to mentor other players and coaches as SASA switched into its outdoor season. She was also gearing up to coach Alberta Soccer’s girls team at the Canada Summer Games this August.
