⚽ Meet Katia Olsen! ⚽
As the manager, organizer, and proud auntie of the W̱SÁNEĆ Islanders U16 girls’ soccer team, Katia is helping young athletes stay motivated, build community, and chase big dreams! 🌟
From training hard in the gym to fundraising for the Hawaii International Tournament 🌴, Katia is making sure these girls have every opportunity to grow, compete, and create lifelong memories. 💙🏆
Support the team as they gear up for their next big challenge! 🙌🏽
Who are you to the team?
My name is Katia Olsen, and I manage the W̱SÁNEĆ Islanders U16 girls’ soccer team. My second-oldest daughter plays on the team, and I am the manager, auntie, and organizer.
Can you tell me about the team’s recent athletic accomplishments?
They were undefeated in the league until their loss in November. It was a close game, and some players were out. They’re a really strong group of girls who work hard. With that size of a roster, they really need to show their dedication, and they do. They push hard through practices and are a strong group of motivated soccer players.
Can you tell me about the training schedule and what it looks like?
Right now, they are training two days a week in the gym. We haven’t had any games since that Cup game because all the other fields are closed, but our girls are still working hard in the gym because we have access, so we’ve booked that time for them. A few of them will also train with the women’s team and do their own training. I know I’ve seen a few of them running through the community and doing their cardio that way.
It sounds like it’s year-round and doesn’t end during the winter. Is that right?
Yeah. So, last year, there were about five who played together, and they really wanted to be able to play with more family and more girls from our community. That’s what they wanted: to feel welcome and like they had that community feeling. So, throughout the summer, my dad, Curtis Olsen, and I had some conversations about it and wanted to make sure that the girls stayed motivated and didn’t get discouraged and do things like play other places–we wanted them to be able to all play together. I started reaching out to the core girls, and we put it out to the universe to try and get enough girls to be able to field a team. And we did it!
Can you share the name of the team?
I gave the girls a few options to choose their name, and they picked the W̱SÁNEĆ Islanders. Islanders were a team representing the W̱SÁNEĆ community years and years ago when my mom played, and some of the other moms on the team were also Islanders. When I started playing, I was an Islander, but that name was retired for years, and our team since has switched to the Saanich Hurricanes. These girls brought the name back to W̱SÁNEĆ islanders.
How did you end up being the manager of this team?
It fell into my lap because I wanted to make it happen. I wanted to make sure it was seen through, so I took it and ran with it. My dad had some role as a coach. He’s coached for many years. He’s coached men; he’s coached boys. I was like, I don’t think I could coach; I’ve got five kids of my own. I could do the behind-the-scenes stuff. So, that’s what I’ve been doing. I am trying to do the reminders for practicing and a lot of recruiting, trying to brainstorm with my daughter, Chloe, and find out which girls are the same age and which girls like soccer. So, yeah, it just kind of fell into my lap, I guess.
Let’s start with the trip to Hawaii. What’s going on with that?
Right now, we’re fundraising our butts off for The Hawaii International tournament. My dad mentioned that tournament to me in probably October or November, and I had seen other teams that had gone there in previous years, but I had never really thought of it. When he mentioned it, I said, “Okay, yeah, I’ll have a look. So, I looked online and decided to ask the team if anybody was interested. Everybody jumped on the idea. We reached out to an agent and got some quotes. We’re still in the planning phases and trying to figure out how we’re going to do it. Still, we’re getting the money, and we’re getting the support from community, and we want to continue getting the community support. The community members came and watched them in that Cup game, and for me, it hit. I love soccer, and I love seeing what it does for young girls with their self-esteem and confidence. I just want them to be able to work together. I tell them we often talk positively to each other; we don’t want to discourage anybody. I want to be able to make it a good experience for them and a memorable experience for them, because that wasn’t something that we had ever done growing up. Around one out of five girls played soccer back when I was a youth, and I would like to see females continue in sports and form friendships and relationships.
How many girls are on the team?
Fourteen. We’ve reached out to a couple of others, and we’ve got a couple we’ve called up to fill in when we’ve had key players away. We’ve tried to keep it to other W̱SÁNEĆ girls. So, we’ve got another younger girl that comes in. She started training with them. About sixteen are going to Hawaii, and we’re still trying to figure out what that will be like and if we will be able to. I fear we’re going to get there, and we won’t know how the temperature will affect them or if they will get burnt out from the heat. In that case, my concern is whether there are enough players to push through a game because it will be a shock to them.
How long would this trip be in total?
We’re looking at six to seven days. Right now, we’re talking about leaving on the 5th or 6th of August so that we have a couple of days to acclimate to Hawaii’s temperatures. The tournament itself is on the 8th, 9th, and 10th.
Is there a link that we can promote to help you fundraise?
We have an account we’re using right now for funds, but we’ve also wanted to figure out how to create an account to which people can send donations. Whenever we do fundraisers, we’ve only been using our emails for E-transfers, but it would be nice to have one delegated just for the girls so that people can randomly support them if they want to or have the means to.
How much do you guys need to raise in total?
We’re currently exploring our options, but we’re estimating about $3000 per girl, and there are sixteen girls. This is just to ensure they get their flights and accommodations paid for.
What is something that you’re proud to share about this team?
It’s been awesome to see their encouragement and how they’ve all come together as a team. They came in not knowing each other very well and at different skill levels, but they embraced each other. I’ve seen friendships flourish, and it’s just been so lovely to see their self-esteem and to see them bond, laugh, joke around, and work together to pull off wins as a team. They all have their own strengths. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from parents about how it’s helped their kids learn and develop and how much growth they’ve seen just from September. I’m praising my dad for being the coach and the feedback that he gives them.
What’s a message you’d like to share with W̱SÁNEĆ girls?
Just keep active and keep with it. I really love to see them playing sports, and I love to see them healthy. That’s always been my goal. Not just with this team, but I have, over the past couple of years, worked with U12 and U10 teams. My oldest is seventeen, and I started coaching her when she was young. I feel it’s important to keep girls active for many reasons, but most importantly, it is important to bond with them, build a team, and make memories. It’s essential for me to see girls continuing that.
Is there anything that I missed that you’d like to share?
We are also going to Surrey in March. We’re going to the Surrey Mayor’s Cup, another big tournament we wanted to make sure they experience.
