(September 7, 2018) Women throughout the Province are invited to Create Your Advantage – a full day, all-female refresher course plus interactive development session being offered at no cost in Edmonton and Calgary on October 21.

Building upon the Pilot event which took place in April, the second edition of this program will feature a female-led refresher course in the morning, with the remainder of the day focusing on player management in difficult situations. Senior female instructors, Laurie Darvill, Melissa Sargent, and Jaimelia Turner will facilitate the dynamic training sessions.

Participating in a refresher course is a required step for referees prior to each indoor and outdoor season. The female-focused environment ensures women can use their voice and seek guidance in a supportive setting:

“I enjoyed the program as it gives us a freedom of speech zone without judgement…we are able to empower women referees no matter age or skill. I would attend the event again!”
– 2018 Spring Create Your Advantage participant

Create Your Advantage (CYA) was developed by female officials, for female officials, and is the second of two projects that were selected as part of the Alberta Women in Sport Leadership Impact Program*. Women face unique challenges in sport and learning in an all-female environment allows both the leaders and participants to share their knowledge and experience in a meaningful way.

“This the most thorough refresher I have attended…The confidence that [I] gained from the afternoon and the networking was fantastic.”
– Spring 2018 Create Your Advantage Participant

This event is open to all female officials in Alberta who have a Youth classification or higher. To register, login to Refcentre and select one of the following courses, using the code Advantage when prompted:

  • Calgary
    • Course # 1483
    • Mt. Royal University – October 21st   9 – 4 pm (includes lunch break)
  • Edmonton
    • Course # 1484
    • Concordia University – October 21st   9 – 4 pm (includes lunch break)
If you have any questions about the Create Your Advantage program, please contact Carmen at programs@albertasoccer.com or 780-378-8104.

See more pictures from the Spring 2018 Create Your Advantage Program, here

*About the Alberta Women in Sport Leadership Impact Program
This is a 2.5-year initiative being offered by the Coaching Association of Canada and Alberta Sport Connection. This program is part of a larger project being funded by the Status of Women Ministry, and intended to advance gender equality and leadership diversity in sport organizations in Alberta.