VANCOUVER, BC – Nearing the end of what has been a successful season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite set off to Las Vegas for the 2013 Players Showcase this weekend.
After collecting the regular season title in the Metro Women’s Soccer League (MWSL) Premier A Division this season and also winning their way to the final of the MWSL Cup, the girls will be hoping to carry over their form into the prestigious youth tournament. The weekend jaunt will give the players a chance to showcase their talents in front of scouts with a hope to getting picked up by a collegiate team following their graduation from the Girls Elite program.
Whitecaps FC Girls Elite head coach Jesse Symons is looking forward to the showcase as a chance to promote the work being put into the Girls Elite program.
“It’s one of the most prestigious showcase events in North America and the main objective of this event is twofold,” commented Symons. “One is to brand the club and showcase our Whitecaps FC Girls Elite team; the other is to focus individually on players to hopefully get recruited to universities.”
“The big thing is that the players know that if they perform well together they’ll be showcased better individually, so it’s about the team first, then the individual accolades will come afterwards. With so many games in such a short period of time the emphasis and focus is full on performing well as a group at the event.”
“It’s always fun to go away. It’s a good opportunity to spend 24/7 together but they’re very comfortable with each other and they’re a very tight knit group.”
Following the tournament in Las Vegas, the team heads back to Vancouver to prepare for a busy weekend in which they will be playing during the Whitecaps FC Showcase being held between March 22-24 at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, as well as taking on Surrey United in the MWSL Cup final on March 24.
One player who will miss the Showcase weekend and the Cup final, which will kickoff at 3p.m. PT at Hugh Boyd High School in Richmond, is Emma Fletcher who this weekend received a call up to Canada's U-20 training camp.
Coach Symons is pleased that Fletcher is receiving international recognition. “Emma’s been playing at a very high level, she’s very committed,” said Symons.
“For a player that moved from home when she was 16 in grade 11 just shows how much passion and motivation she has to play at the highest level she possibly can. She’s very well deserving of this opportunity and I’m sure she’ll do well at camp. Any opportunity to get called up for Canada and be in camp is our priority and it will give one of our players an opportunity to step into her place.”
