Tenacious soccer foursome to compete at Madrid showcase

An opportunity of a lifetime has presented itself to four local female soccer players.

Teammates and close friends Emily Evans, Elizabeth O’Toole, and sisters Jordan and Drew Beith recently found out they qualified for the 2024 Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge in Spain next year.

The female foursome was among a small handful of co-ed players selected to the international tournament at a qualifier in Kitchener last week.

Bringing young athletes from 15 countries together in the heart of Europe’s soccer scene, the tournament will be held at the Real Madrid first team’s official training grounds, Ciudad del Real Madrid in March 2024.

The massive achievement hasn’t come without hard work, however.

Sault soccer coach Daniel Sdao has been training the girls on the side at the Strathclair soccer fields between three and five times every week for a number of years now.

They've also been training with Chris Muncaster of Elevate Elite Performance.

While the girls already compete together in the local soccer leagues, Sdao says the bulk of their work – and ultimately their tenacious attitude – comes with all that extra practice.

“They’re not just soccer players – these girls are athletes,” he says. “I can’t say enough about their work ethic and their passion for soccer.”

Sdao first mentioned the Madrid qualifier to the players and their families back in January.

Sensing it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, six girls from the Sault travelled to Kitchener for a clinic last week and joined well over 100 players from across the province for several days of drills, team-building exercises, and match play.

“It’s a co-ed, so the teams are made up of boys and girls,” says Emily Evans’ mom Stephanie. “We were really impressed with how it was led. It was very disciplined.”

“The showcase was really nerve-wracking because there were some really good players there,” says 8-year-old Drew Beith.

Shortly after returning from southern Ontario, Evans, O’Toole, and Jordan Beith found out they booked their ticket to Spain when they received a notification that they were selected to Canada’s World Challenge U12 co-ed team, while Drew Beith was chosen for the U10 co-ed team.

It’s safe to say the girls were stunned.

“I was on my mom’s phone, and I saw a notification,” Evans says. “I looked at it, and it said ‘selected.’ I was mind blown when I found out.”

“My mom told me and Jordan that we were selected, but she still wasn’t 100 per cent sure,” Drew Beith says. “So, I was a bit nervous but then got really excited when we found out for sure.”

“It makes me feel shocked and happy that we’re going to Spain,” Jordan Beith says. “I’m super excited.”

“It’s an awesome opportunity and I’m really excited for it,” O’Toole adds. “I think we’re going to do pretty good. We’ll definitely try our best and have fun.”

Proud to represent their city and their country, the girls will be up against players from 14 other nations when they arrive in Spain next year for the 2024 Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge.

Many of their international opponents will be one to two years older than the Sault’s foursome in a field dominated by boys.

But that doesn’t bother the young competitors according to their coach.

“There’s nothing that intimidates them,” Sdao says. “The separation between the genders, to them, is negligible. They have no issue blending in with the boys at all.”

“It’s good that we’re playing with boys,” Drew Beith says. “They can really teach us stuff too.”

While Sdao credits his players for the dedication they’ve showcased on the field, it’s the girls who are beyond appreciative of their coach for pushing them to be better athletes and people.

“Our coach Daniel helps us a lot,” Evans says. “He’ll tell you what to do and he always has the answers. I put a lot of thanks to Daniel and for what he does for us.”

“Coach Daniel, my parents, and my soccer friends make me want to work harder,” Jordan Beith adds.

The Beith sisters are also incredibly thankful to Chris Muncaster who has helped them with strength training and nutrition training

While some days have been tougher than others, the girls say they’re always there to stick by each other and build one another up.

“If I’m down, my friends always encourage me to do better when I’m not doing my best,” Drew Beith says.

“We support each other,” O’Toole adds.

“They love to game, they love learning, and it’s been an absolute joy working and training with them,” Sdao says. “I can’t help but look forward to seeing where their young soccer careers take them. The sky’s the limit for these kids.”