Page 24 - XperienceAlberta-EDA-2025

THE
BEAUTIFUL
GAME
Soccer’s growing profile
in Alberta
BY CAITLIN HART
Photos by BTB Soccer Academy
24
XPERIENCE ALBERTA 2 0 2 5 CANADA IS KNOWN for its love of hockey, but soccer is growing
in popularity across the country. It’s the most played sport by youth
in Canada, with about a million kids participating. In Alberta, soccer
is one of the most popular sports for adults, behind only hockey and
basketball. Alberta Soccer counts over 100,000 members in its organiza-
tion and Calgary, the province’s largest city, has attracted professional
soccer teams. In 2025, the Northern Super League is set to launch with
six professional Canadian women’s soccer teams, including the Calgary
Wild FC. Calgary is already home to the professional Canadian Premier
League soccer team Cavalry Football Club, which has had its audience
double over the last six seasons.
Across Alberta, soccer academies are springing up to nurture
young talent as the sport’s popularity continues to grow — 30,000
kids play in Calgary’s minor leagues and over 25,000 play in the
provincial capital of Edmonton.
Edmonton’s Born to Be (BTB) Soccer Academy has 700 members,
from leagues for toddlers up to semi-professional teams for adults.
“Soccer has grown a lot, especially in Edmonton,” says Kondeh
Mansaray, founder and sporting director of BTB Soccer. “This year
especially, I feel like the game has grown tremendously. There’s a lot of
kids now playing.”
Alberta Soccer, says Mansaray, has been expanding soccer through
initiatives to keep girls in the sport, include players with disabilities and
involve immigrants and refugees in leagues around Alberta. BTB focuses
on personal development for all players, whether they’re playing for
fun, or aiming for professional soccer. Soccer star Alphonso Davies is an
ambassador to the club, dropping in on practices and inspiring young
players, many of whom are playing soccer professionally now.
“I went to the United States this summer to see some of our [former]
players who are now playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps,” Mansaray
adds. “For me, that was great pride.”
Academies like BTB foster talent and connect young players to role
models like Davies, but there’s also support from the government for
athletes through Podium Alberta. Also known as the High Performance
Athlete Assistance Program, it provides funding for Alberta’s top
athlete’s living costs, training, competition and sport equipment.
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