Students from schools across the Halifax area piled into the Wanderers Grounds to watch the Halifax Tides take on the Vancouver Rise Thursday morning. The goal of the match was to expose children, who haven’t had a chance to see a game, to the sport. “We wanted to have this opportunity where it was accessible, and people were able to get here. Thank goodness the weather agreed,” said Halifax Tides owner and CEO Courtney Sherlock. With over 5,800 in attendance at the game, the Tides hit a crowd record. Tides defender Annika Leslie’s entire elementary school was also in the stands. “She loves the kids. They were super enthusiastic when she went to visit last week. And I saw them walking across the Commons, they’re all cheering and so excited that one of their own gets to be on the pitch,” her mom Heidi told CTV Atlantic. Annika went to Saint Catherine’s Elementary School, a place she says is “fantastic.” “When I heard that the whole entire school was coming, I was just so excited. I made tie-dye t-shirts, teal and purple for the event, and I visited them last week and they were just so excited, and I can’t wait to see them,” she said during a pre-match. With soccer on the rise in Canada, the moment to showcase the game to children stood out as a great opportunity for the Tides and Sherlock. “This is why we’re doing it. These girls will say, ‘I can do that when I am older. That can be a career that I can choose to do, and I can see people that are doing that and living my dream,’” she said. World Cup fever has taken over the country, with Team Canada facing off against Qatar the same day. Thursday’s game in Halifax made the Tides the first team in the Northern Super League (NSL) to pit on a school day match. “Soccer just took over hockey, right? For the most popular sport for youth,” said Sherlock. “And everything that’s happening with the NSL and the World Cup is just going to bring more and more attention to that sport. And we know how important it is to have kids in sport when they’re young, so we’re just going to play a role in that. Cultivating the sport for the next generation is also important to local talent, like Leslie. “It’s the most rewarding part of our job,” she said. “Obviously, getting to play soccer for a job is so cool, but getting to go back into the community and go see the people who raised me and helped shape me, who shaped who I am today, and getting to kind of inspire the next generation and see how that impact will continue to bring up kids for years to come is just like the best thing ever.” Leslie says it’s also important to show Nova Scotians the dream is possible and part of the fabric of the professional women’s team. “I think I’ve always been very proud of coming from Halifax. I’m so excited that I get to share this place with my friends and my teammates and kind of show them what this place is about,” she beamed. “I know what it means to be from Halifax, and I think I can share that with my team so that we all feel the same pride that I felt growing up.” Sherlock added community is one of the team’s core values. “And I think that that plays a huge role in creating that community, these players that we have from Nova Scotia. They would have babysat some of these girls or coached them or they have fans that say, ‘I remember when they were in school with my children,’ right?” The game comes as the province recognizes the importance of Kentville’s Jacob Shaffelburg on the world stage. “I was at the watch party for the first Canada game last week,” said Leslie. “We were out in the Garrison Grounds and when he got subbed in, it was just a really cool moment. Everyone was so excited… he supports us and Nova Scotia is really excited for him.” The Tides ended in a 1-1 draw against the Vancouver Rise and sit third in the standings behind Ottawa and Montreal. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
