Canada Soccer AccelerateHER Program Awards Grants and Funds All-Women C-Diploma Workshops

Canada Soccer is proud to share the progress in the AccelerateHER program, which aims to enhance gender equity in the Canadian advanced coaching landscape. This update highlights the allocation of grants to 50 coaches and the funding of four all-women C-Diploma workshops in collaboration with provincial associations.

Grants Awarded to 50 Coaches ​

AccelerateHER has provided financial support to 50 women coaches nationwide throughout eight provincial organizations. ​

“Canada Soccer received overwhelming interest from women coaches across the country in response to the AccelerateHER program launch. ​ The demand underscores the need for initiatives like AccelerateHER to advance and support women in coaching. The highly enthusiastic engagement we have received highlights the untapped potential and eagerness among women coaches to excel in our game. AccelerateHER is a vital step towards creating an inclusive and equitable coaching landscape in Canada Soccer.” ​ ​
​​
​- Sara McConaghy, Director of Community & Fund Development

The list of grant recipients includes:

A-Diploma Workshop:

British Columbia  ​
​Brianna Morden - Coquitlam Metro Ford Soccer Club ​

Alberta ​
​Cat Fox - New Frontier Soccer Academy ​ ​
​Aleasha Weicker-Pasternak - St. Albert Impact

Manitoba ​
​Tonya Derkson - Université de Saint-Boniface ​

Ontario ​
​Mallory MacDonald - Brams United Soccer Club ​ ​
​Melanie Jimenez - BVB International Waterloo ​ ​
​Laura Arduini - North Mississauga SC ​ ​
​Christina Romanelli - Toronto Blizzard SC ​

Québec ​
​Julie Casselman - CF Montreal ​

Nova Scotia ​
​Fawn Mulholland - United DFC ​
​

B-Diploma Workshop:

British Columbia ​
​Tanya Laine Racher - Nanaimo United FC ​ ​
​Lee-Ann Denham - North Shore Girls Soccer Club ​ ​
​Haley Bartram - Kamloops Youth Soccer Association

Alberta ​
​Bryn Cleasby - Scottish United Soccer Club ​ ​
​Angie De Benedetto – EMSA / Warriors Soccer Club ​
​Marni Devlin Moses – Edmonton Sting FC ​
​Marie Ingram - KC Trojans Soccer Association ​ ​
​Catherine Ridgeway – Swan City FC ​

Saskatchewan ​
​Shirley Potts - FC Regina ​ ​
​Tarin Ballan - Queen City Soccer Club

Manitoba ​
​Anisha Kinnarath Salam - A.K. Soccer Academy ​ ​
​Alison Clarke - Manitoba Soccer Association ​ ​
​Rochelle Dziadekwich - Manitoba Soccer Association

Nova Scotia ​
​Sylvie Smith-Ford - Inter Halifax Soccer Club ​ ​
​Meghan Earle - Suburban FC / Soccer Nova Scotia

Yukon ​
​Sarah Hanson - Yukon Soccer Association ​

Ontario ​
​Andrea Petrina - Hamilton United Elite Soccer Club ​
​Natasha Araya Lentz - Toronto High Park FC ​ ​
​Brogan Marhsalsey - BVB International Waterloo ​ ​
​Sydney Vander Hoef - Guelph Youth Soccer Club ​
​Laura Twidle - Oakville Soccer Club ​
​Simone Chiodo - FC Durham Academy ​
​Francesca Cardwell - Burlington Soccer Club ​
​Faziela Haffejee - FC Durham Academy ​
​Tessa Dimitrakopoulos - Oak Ridges Soccer Club ​
​Sarah Pacheco - London TFC

Québec ​
​Andréa Fox - Celtix du Haut-Richelieu ​
​Andréanne Thériault - Club de Soccer de Trois-Rivieres ​
​Chloé Cummings - Club de Soccer de Roussillon ​
​Elena Waldispuehl - CS Montreal ​
​Éloïse Bélec - A.S Blainville ​
​Gilleanne Estrada-Cortez - Association Regionale de Soccer Concordia ​
​Katy Fontaine - Revolution FC
​Mélanie Desrosiers - Revolution FC
​Sheila Couture - Mistral de Sherbrooke ​
​Stéphanie Lopez - Club Soccer Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve ​
​

Children’s Diploma Workshop:

Alberta ​
​Gabriela Tiemstra - Calgary Villains FC

British Columbia ​
​Meegan Maultsaid - North Shore Girls Soccer Club

Saskatchewan ​
​Jaime Drader - Valley Soccer Association

Ontario ​
​Cassandra Briscoe - Future Girls Soccer United

All-Women C-Diploma Workshops

In addition to individual grants, the AccelerateHER program has partnered with Alberta Soccer, Manitoba Soccer Association, Soccer Quebec, and Soccer Nova Scotia to fund and host all-women C-Diploma workshops. ​

Details about these workshops will be communicated directly by each Member Association. ​

Further Components

AccelerateHER will continue to support all women coaches accepted in Canada Soccer's 2024/25 Advanced Coach Education Workshops by offering access to an additional national network of support and comprehensive program content, which will enhance their skills and diploma workshop experience. ​