Amanda Morra – Coach
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with over 270 active participants globally. Of those, around 1 million participants are registered in Canada. But of those 1 million, less than 200 are registered with a Canadian National Team program. This past July, I was fortunate enough to be selected as the Head Coach of Team Canada’s Women’s Unified Soccer Team, where we selected 11 amazing Special Olympics Athletes and Unified Partners who would have the opportunity to represent their country on the international stage- something less than 0.02% of Canadian soccer players will ever be able to boast.
Having the opportunity to coach these amazing women was something I did not take for granted, and the training, fundraising and planning process started the minute I was appointed to the coaching staff along with Jennifer Kil and Kaitlin Ireland, Team Medical Staff Shannon Strongman and our Head of Delegation Johnny Byrne. Together we ran tryouts spanning across Durham, Toronto and surrounding areas to build our roster, and put together our team. Very quickly we agreed that our on-pitch success would be heavily correlated with our off-pitch relationships and aimed to build a team culture and atmosphere that revolved around friendship, inclusion, social acceptance, laughter and fun. We had our Unified Partners lead ice breakers and ‘getting to know you’ games to help our girls connect and form closer bonds. We worked on basic soccer skills and ran through offensive and defensive strategy. We held virtual sessions to include family and fans in the lead up to the main event and collaborated with other Unified programs, such as the Toronto FC Unified Team to help us with practices and exhibition games. All of this lead up was to compete in the Special Olympics Unified World Cup, held July 5-11 in Paris, France, and with anticipation and excitement increasing with every team event, the best was still yet to come.
When we arrived in Paris, we were excited to check in to our accommodations, experience the culture, meet some new people and our Delegation Assitstant Liaison (DAL) Sophie, and of course, play soccer. What we didn’t expect was to walk into one of the most dramatic heat waves in France’s recorded history, with temperatures averaging 40oC for many consecutive days. But our group was committed to the goal of representing Canada with integrity, sportsmanship and a positive attitude and the girls adapted to changing schedules, no air conditioning and tough playing conditions with minimal complaining.
Our first team outing was to Galeries Lafayette, a department store that is famous for its stunning architecture, including a 43 metre high stained glass dome and a stunning rooftop terrace with incredible panoramic views of Paris. The girls were excited to buy souvenirs, take in the sights and of course enjoy some treats at Parisian cafes. We had an early bedtime to shake off the jet lag and woke up the next day first for our training session and then a pin assembly line. Here the girls decorated their accreditation lanyards with Canadian pins, ready to trade with other countries at Opening Ceremonies that evening. Trading pins was one of our teams’ favourite Special Olympics traditions as it allowed them the opportunity to meet people and players from all over the world and share in the excitement for this tournament. Our girls made us proud by visiting all teams, navigating language and cultural barriers and taking photos and selfies with competitors from all over the world. Some countries did not have pins to trade, but our girls still eagerly shared Canadian pins with them and made them feel welcome and included in the tradition. Before we walked into the Opening Ceremonies procession I reminded the girls what a privilege it was to represent our country and to wear the Canadian flag on our uniform but they already knew how amazing it was, and walked into the stadium with a sense of pride, accomplishment and confidence that resonated with me as a coach, because I knew that despite any scores or outcomes on the field that this experience was changing the lives of everyone on our team by being immersed in this World Cup experience.
The next day Canada played our first game against Hong Kong in the Stade Charléty, supported by our families who joined us on the trip and many local schools who attended to cheer on the competition. Canada won this game, but more importantly our sportsmanship, passing, fair play and encouragement were noted by the other coaches and game officials. We were commended for equitable playing time and positivity from the coaches to players, and from our players to their teammates. The next day we played Slovakia and Egypt, recording a loss and a tie, but again our team was applauded for implementing inclusive principals in every aspect of the sport, from helping teammates put on gear before the game, to guiding each other on the field, to our favourite tradition of pre-game dance parties to loosen up and shake off any pre-game jitters to our post game photos where the girls intermingled with their opponents and congratulated them on games well played.
Our round robin record landed us into Division 2, and we had a break from competition to enjoy being tourists in the city. First, the girls were treated to a beautiful boat cruise along the Seine River with all of the other delegations and again were a standout country who socialized with everyone, joined in on the dance parties and selfies and had an approachable and welcoming attitude. Next, and the outing that had the most anticipation, was a visit to the Eifel Tower. There was something magical about being with your team at this culturally iconic location and having the opportunity to take a moment to feel gratitude for the experience we were living. Playing or coaching a sport we love, with a team we love and getting to experience the beauty and wonder of Paris’ globally recognized food, culture and architecture is something I will remember for the rest of my life, and is easily one of the best coaching experiences I have ever had.
Our final games were the semis against Egypt, and the bronze medal game against the host city France, and while we did not win either of these games, Canada was committed to playing with integrity, ensuring an inclusive game where we prioritized passing and team play and demonstrating respect for opponents, officials, coaches and teammates regardless of the score of the game. At the end of each of those games, our players and coaches confidently and proudly delivered a gift to each and every opponent, coach and official and this simple act of sportsmanship was well received by all. We exemplified Canadian values and showed that despite the outcome or score, we are all participating on this global stage to promote inclusion, acceptance and comradery.
At the Closing Ceremonies, Canada was recognized for placing 4th place in our division, but what really made me proud and emotional as a coach was that when our Canadian Team walked onto the stage, we received a standing ovation from multiple countries, the section of volunteers and of course all of our visiting fans. To look out into the audience and see the unwavering support of our team reinforced the real purpose of Special Olympics Unified events which is to unify the world through a shared love and appreciation of sport and inclusion. Our sense of pride and accomplishment was already high for our team, but then Canada was recognized with the ‘Fair Play Team Award’- presented to one male and one female team who demonstrate exemplary behaviour including playing by the unified rules, respecting teammates, opponents, game officials and fans and demonstrating unwavering integrity, sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the tournament. Receiving this award is the proudest moment of my coaching career and one that I will cherish forever. This moment was also made special to receive with Johnny Byrne, Director of Sport and Programs for Special Olympics Ontario, and Gail Hamamoto Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics Canada in attendance.
As I look back at this experience, I know that it was life changing for the Special Olympics Athletes and the Unified Partners, but it was also life changing for me as a coach. It reinforced that leadership and coaching the true values of Unified Sport can build youth with incredibly strong character traits and values who will continue to champion inclusion in all facets of their life beyond sport. We were lucky enough to play together in a tournament where you were not judged by your ability or disability and instead celebrated as a part of a team where everyone had the chance to showcase their athleticism and spirit on the global stage and prove to the world why we should play unified and why inclusion matters. Representing Canada is a privilege, and the values, memories and experiences shared by this team will be something that our group gets to carry for the rest of our lives. And I know that every time we take a moment to reflect on this World Cup experience, we will remember that when we play Unified, everyone wins.
SOO is grateful to all the donors who supported our team. We also want to provide special recognition to the financial support received from the Durham Region Para Sport and Recreation Opportunities fund at Durham Community Foundation, as well as Toyota – Global Special Olympics Unified Sports® Partner.