Olympians headed to Whale Cove
Bronze medalists, coach, former NHLer to hold soccer clinic
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
WHALE COVE
Youth soccer players in Whale Cove are gearing up for four days of soccer heaven later this month.
Canada's Kadeisha Buchanan (3) strips the ball from Lotta Schelin of Trelleborg, Sweden, as Ashley Lawrence (10) follows the play during a women's international friendly game in Trelleborg earlier this year. Buchanan and Lawrence will be in Whale for a clinic later this month. - photo courtesy of Canada Soccer by Mirko Kappes |
Former NHLer John Chabot will be bringing a Canada Soccer coach and 2016 Olympic team members Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence for a soccer clinic in Whale from June 15 to 18.
Buchanan, 21, has an impressive resume being on the bronze-medal team at the 2016 Olympic Games, and following that up as a 2017 UEFA Champions League, Championnat de France, and Coupe de France winner with France's FCF Olympique Lyonnais.
Lawrence, 21, is also a member of the 2016 Olympics bronze-winning team.
Chabot took his skills development hockey camp to Coral Harbour this past January, after holding camps in Baker Lake, Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet in 2016.
The former NHLer said he was impressed with the enthusiasm of the youths in every Kivalliq community he visited, as well as their interest in various other sports.
One sport in particular stood out during his visit to Whale, and he promised the community he'd be back to help with its skills development also.
"While talking about sports currently being played in Whale Cove during my previous visit, I was told soccer is getting bigger and bigger in the community," said Chabot.
"I knew it would really help the kids in Whale - and the coaches too in some aspects - develop their skills if I organized a soccer clinic with a Canada Soccer coach and a couple of players from the Olympic bronze-medal-winning team.
"There's no doubt the kids will feed off Kadeisha's and Ashley's enthusiasm and love for the sport, so the camp should really help strengthen the growing passion for the sport in Whale.
"So I asked if they were interested in having me organize the clinic and they were, so we went about organizing it and here we are."
Chabot and the soccer coach plan to come into the community on June 14 and run the camp themselves until Buchanan and Lawrence arrive on June 17.
He is hoping to have the two Olympians involved in the camp for two days, but flight-scheduling challenges with Calm Air may see Buchanan and Lawrence only be able to stay in the community for one day.
"The hamlet of Whale Cove is paying the whole shot for this, so, I think, the hamlet is really to be commended for this initiative.
"We have confirmation that a Canada Soccer coach will, definitely, be arriving with me in Whale, but the coach who originally wanted to be part of this has just taken sick, so we're just waiting to hear who his replacement will be.
"We're all really excited about this and can't wait to arrive in Whale and get the camp going.
"The kids are going to learn a lot and have a lot of fun while doing it."
