Three players with St. Albert Impact FC have been selected to play for team Alberta at the Canada Summer Games in St. John's, N.L. this August.
For St. Albert resident Charley Henderson, the drive to compete pushes her to be the best player she can be on the pitch.
"Being able to stick tackles and block shots -- that's one of my favourite things as a defender," said Henderson, who plays as a full back and centre back. "But honestly, I've always loved running. Running up and down the pitches." Henderson is captain of her St. Albert team, and also runs cross country and track and field.
Henderson thrives in a competitive environment, and thinks playing with some other high level players and coaches at St. Albert Impact FC has helped out with her performances and play. She's excited to continue that at the Canada Summer Games.
"It's really exciting to be able to represent Alberta at a very high stage. It's huge," she said. "There were so many good players and I just feel very happy."
The technical director and team Alberta coach Alesha Weicker-Pasternak said that tryout process started in May 2024, with players in Northern Alberta trying out separately from Southern Alberta. During August they merged the two divisions, and whittled down from 120 players to 23 after the last tryout in January.
"It was us as a staff working together to address a positional need, and each player selected fit a positional need for what we were looking for," Weicker-Pasternak said.
"It was a bit nerve wracking," Henderson said of the tryout process. "Anyone from that tryout deserved to be there."
Henderson is teammates with one of the other players selected, Ojong Tabot. She said it's nice to go through the experience with someone she already knows.
"I feel like we'll get a really good connection as well. Get closer with that experience," she said.
Tabot has been playing soccer since she was four, like Henderson. She started off in community soccer and kept going all the way to club level. She plays an interesting mix of positions, contributing as a centre back but also on the attacking end as a striker.
"I like scoring goals," Tabot said. "But I also love that I can contribute to the attacking while managing the defence as a centre back."
The third and final player, Rowan Cameron, lives in Sherwood Park, but chose to play for Impact FC because of their female presence, Cameron said in an email.
Weicker-Pasternak said they chose Cameron because of her versatility.
"Rowan gives us some versatility in the back, being able to play as both a full back and a centre back. And as a left footed player, gives us the ability to have consistency in our attack from the back with regards to having a footed player on the left side," she said.
Tabot is excited about the opportunity to compete in the St. John's based tournament.
"It really means a lot to me because it's not every year that you get to try out for this sort of thing to represent the province," she said. She's looking forward to "showcasing my talent with the rest of my teammates. Just showing what we can do nationally."
"It's exciting. These tournaments don't happen very often, so it's exciting to be able to represent the province and showcase the strength of the athletes in not only Edmonton and St. Albert, but also for the whole province," Weicker-Pasternak said.
The Canada Summer Games will take place in St. John's, N.L. and run from Aug. 8 to Aug. 25. For more information on the tournament and the various sports being showcased, visit their website at www.canadagames.ca/future-games/st-johns-2025.
