The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) made its debut in the sports world earlier this year, breaking attendance records and taking women’s sports to new heights. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) had more eyes on it than ESPN has seen in 23 years, making history, and now, Canadian soccer has also created a home for female athletes in professional sports.
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This spring the first season of the Northern Super League (NSL), the first Canadian D1 professional women’s soccer league kicks off. The NSL has confirmed a broadcast deal with CBC and TSN putting women’s soccer on the big screens.
Former Falcon Jade Kovacevic is making history by signing as the first player of AFC Toronto, one of the six teams in the league.
Credit: Emma Hurrell
Kovacevic studied Business and played on Fanshawe’s soccer team. Fanshawe women’s soccer defensive player Emma Hurrell is “inspired” by seeing one of their own signed to the big leagues.
“Knowing that it’s my school and I’m on that team now, it’s inspiring me to keep going and to continue the sport that I love and I’ve been loving since I was four years old.” Shared Hurrell.
Female athletes had no end destination and no leagues to work up to. The idea of becoming a professional athlete for women was not realistic without a place to play.
“This is something like for many years that men have always had. It was just different because, for them, it’s something they could take somewhere. But for us, it never was.” Added Hurrell.
Like the PWHL and WNBA, the NSL now gives these young female athletes a new dream to chase.
“The girls finally get an opportunity to play when we’re older and in a more competitive league. I think that’s amazing. And just knowing when you’re younger that you have that now, it just is telling you to keep going.” Said Hurrell.
The Leagues season is set to kick off this coming April. Many other talented women will take to the field alongside Kovacevic in making history.
