Canada Soccer Announces Experienced Staff to Lead Women’s National Youth Teams to Rise Higher

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Program have appointed a dynamic and experienced National Youth Teams staff as part of its quadrennial planning towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The staff are part of a fully aligned structure, led by Women’s National Team Head Coach and Program Director Bev Priestman, features all female head coaches across the youth program at the U-20, U-17, and U-15 levels.
 
In all, four persons have been appointed to the National Youth Teams working closely with Priestman and aligned to the Women’s National Team: Cindy Tye as the U-20 National Team Head Coach, Emma Humphries as the Women’s U-17 National Team Head Coach and REX Super Centre Director, and Jasmine Mander as both the Girls’ U-15 National Team Head Coach and Women’s U-17 National Team Assistant Coach (alongside her role as the Women’s National Team Performance Analyst).  Joey Lombardi is also appointed as the Ontario REX and Women’s U-20 Director.
 
The announcement coincides with National Coaches Week, as promoted by the Coaching Association of Canada as a time to celebrate the positive impact coaches have on athletes and their communities across Canada. The annual campaign is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by taking the time to say #ThanksCoach.
 
“I’m thrilled to have secured such a highly capable group of staff for Canada Soccer’s Youth National Team Program which will ensure we continue to drive the program forward and develop future players like those on display at Tokyo 2020 that came through Canada Soccer’s aligned national youth system, said Bev Priestman, Women’s National Team Head Coach and Program Director.  “All appointments have proven experience of developing talent in Canada and to have a Women’s National Team Program with all female Head Coaches at every level speaks to Canada Soccer’s commitment and future direction for the women’s game in this country.”
 
Tye is a former member of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team and has represented Canada as part of the coaching staff serving as an Assistant Coach at both the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Papa New Guinea 2016 and with the Women’s U-17 National Team.  She previously served as the Regional Excel (REX) Director for Nova Scotia and as a Canada Games Head Coach. Tye is the Head Coach for the Dalhousie University Women’s Soccer Team and has served as an Assistant Coach at the World University Games in 2018. She is an honoured member of the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Humphries joins the program as Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-17 Head Coach and REX Super Centre Director while also maintaining her position as Vancouver Whitecaps FC Director of Women’s Football Development. Humphries, a former FIFA Women’s World Cup participant with New Zealand, holds a UEFA Coaching Award A Diploma. She most recently served as Liverpool FC’s First Team Assistant in the FA Women’s Super League. She previously served as Director of Canada Soccer’s REX Super Centre at the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and has also served as part of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team technical staff at two Algarve Cup tournaments.
 
Mander expands her role as Women’s National Team Performance Analyst and Canada Soccer Staff Coach, specifically as Women’s U-15 National Team Head Coach and Women’s U-17 National Team Assistant Coach. Mander, a former Youth National Teams player is currently finishing the Canada Soccer A Licence program. A former coach with BC Soccer’s High Performance Program since 2011 and the Vancouver Whitecaps REX Super Centre, she was part of Canada Soccer’s Olympic Gold Medal Technical staff at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
 
Lombardi returns to the program in the role of Canada Soccer’s Ontario REX and Women’s U-20 Director. Lombardi, a Canada Soccer A Licence coach since 2009, most recently served as Director of Development at Brampton SC. He previously served as a coach with Canada Soccer’s National Teams from 2012 to 2018 including Concacaf Men’s and Women’s Youth tournaments as well as the Concacaf Gold Cup and Concacaf Nations League with the Men’s National Team. He served on the technical staff at two FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups and two FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups.

WOMEN LEADING WOMEN INITIATIVE

Canada’s continued investment and growth in the women’s game is an important legacy from hosting the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. The Canada Soccer’s Women Leading Women initiative provides former Women’s National Team players the opportunity to contribute to the sport both on and off the pitch.

As part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ Legacy, Canada Soccer directly supported the development of professional opportunities for women’s soccer by co-founding the National Women’s Soccer Leagues along with Mexico and the United States, with already 40 Canadian players featured across the league’s first eight seasons from 2013 to 2020. Also part of the Canada 2015 Legacy to support Canada’s best youth players, Canada Soccer established the Regional EXCEL and Super EXCEL Centres from coast to coast across Canada, with already more than 500 youth players featured in the program since 2013.

Canada Soccer’s coordinated and centralised system has ensured the development of talented players winning medals at three consecutive Olympic Games, with now 41 different players winning medals in the last 10 years. From this year’s team, all 22 players have benefitted from either professional opportunities in the National Women’s Soccer League or program development through Canada Soccer’s Youth National Teams and Super EXCEL/Regional EXCEL Centres, the Canada Games, or former National Training Centres positioned across the country. Canada Soccer’s National Teams Program has also benefited from Own The Podium which has provided technical leadership and guidance in the pursuit of Olympic and Paralympic medals for Canada.

Bev Priestman, the only female Head Coach to lead a country to an Olympic medal at this year’s Olympic Football Tournament, was in fact one of the early architects of Canada Soccer’s EXCEL Program. Under her direction, Canada Soccer’s U-14 to U-20 players were given the tools and direction needed to make their next step on their Women’s National Team journey.

CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

Canada are Olympic champions (Tokyo 2020), two-time bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016), and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2019) and four consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2021). At Tokyo 2020, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team became the first Canadian team to win three consecutive medals at the Summer Olympic Games and just the third nation in the world to win three medals in women’s soccer.

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Youth Teams, meanwhile, have won four Concacaf youth titles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, the 2010 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship. Canada have qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).