Canada soccer

Inequalities exposed in Canada Soccer

Between contract discrepancies, unequal pay, and troubling board activity, faith in the group’s integrity deflates

sophia stevens s&h writer

On June 5, 2022 the Canadian men’s soccer team canceled their friendly match against Panama in preparation for the upcoming Men’s World Cup in Qatar due to a pay and contract dispute between the players, Canada Soccer (CS), and Canada Soccer Business (CSB). In 2019, CS signed a the men’s and women’s national teams. The disagreement was over whether to allow the men’s national team to have 40 per cent of the $10 million dollars in bonus money for qualifying for the World Cup. CS then informed the players that due to their contract with CSB, they would not be given the after-tax payments of 40 per cent in payouts.

In response, the men’s and

women’s national teams released a statement. The teams both expressed an interest in having an investigation into the governing practices and policies of their governing bodies. The national team players would like to understand the circumstances and motives of why CS entered into a 10-year agreement with CSB and why they did not follow basic standards of proper governance. In a joint statement, the teams expressed that, in response to the Rick Westhead article on the internal workings of CS, CS about how the organization is being governed.

The statement highlighted that the agreement between CS and CSB was made “without proper disclosure to the Board, without proper authorization by the Board and/or without appropriate diligence.” Both national teams would like to see CS held accountable for their actions and regarding their agreement with

“In May of 2022 the U.S Soccer Federation reached an agreement where the U.S. men’s and women’s national team members would be paid equally. However, pay discrepancies between the men’s and women’s teams in Canada persist.”

–SophiaStevens

10-year contract with CSB which deemed CSB to have full control over all corporate partnerships and broadcasting rights for put a positive spin on the matters instead of addressing the concerns regarding governing practices, continuing serious concerns CSB. On August 25, 2022, the Canadian Premier League announced a new commissioner and CEO of CSB after a months-long international search. This was due to the previous commissioner stepping down from this role in January of 2022. Both teams expressed that the negotiations had been unnecessarily prolonged, and that they needed to take a stand for the future of soccer in Canada. This stand occurred before the Men’s World Cup in Qatar when the men’s team canceled their scheduled game against Panama just hours before kickoff. The men’s team also stated that they would like more transparency from CS and a change in the organization’s leadership going forward. The statement continued to say that the relationship between the team and the organization has been strained for years, and that CS has deeply disrespected their team which has jeopardized their ability to build up standards. The strained relationship between the men’s team and their organization is not ideal heading into a World Cup year.

The women’s national team focussed their statement on working together with CS and CSB on finding a positive solution and agreement. The team also stated that they “will not accept an agreement that does not offer equal pay.” In May of 2022, the U.S Soccer Federation reached an agreement where the U.S. men’s and women’s national team members would be paid equally. However, pay discrepancies between the men’s and women’s teams in Canada persist. The women’s team also acknowledged that they are happy that the Men’s National Team is looking for a structure that is equitable for both the men’s and women’s teams.

It has often been discussed that Canada lacks a female professional soccer league, since most of their top tier competition internationally have a professional league within their countries. The lack of access to professional opportunities within Canada became apparent when the Canadian women’s U20 national team lost all three games they competed in during the 2022 U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. Canada currently has a professional men’s league called the Canadian Premier League. This discrepancy between opportunities for women and men soccer players within Canada creates a needless inequality.

The Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is a semi-professional league that hopes to become professional in the next five years. For right now, however, female soccer players wanting to play pro in Canada must settle for the semi-professional league. CSB has discussed the potential for a professional women’s league, but no concrete action has been taken. It would not be surprising if the women’s national team players push for a professional league during their contract discussions with CS and CSB. Retired goalkeeper and Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Labbé has spoken publicly on Twitter about how the WPSL is a nice gesture but does not speak to what Canadian female soccer players would like to see or allow them the same opportunities as players on men’s teams. In June of 2022 Canada women’s national team player and Olympic gold medalist Janine Beckie spoke with TSN and stated that the women’s national team wants to see “equal pay for equal work.”

Although barriers still exist on the women’s side of the game, the allyship between the men’s and women’s national teams over equitable pay is a step in the right direction, even if other hurdles still exist. The lack of transparency by CSB to players is something that needs to be addressed since the organization oversees and controls all partnerships and broadcasting, and will likely continue to for the foreseeable future. The strained relationship between the players, CS and CSB has shown that there are pay discrepancies due to a resource monopoly over funds. Therefore, it is vital that the monopoly that CSB has over its players is resolved. The canceled game against Panama is just the beginning in this dispute over equitable pay and opportunities within Canada and CS.

An overview of this writer’s favourite finds, along with one of her favourite recipes: lazy girl kale fried rice

Every year, the Regina Farmer’s Market comes alive from May to October at the heart of downtown Regina. It is a vibrant market open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. It is one of the biggest events in the city, bringing in many shoppers and vendors every week. I made it my mission to make time to go to the market this year as I was unable to go the previous years. I promised myself that I would live out my best cottage core life this summer, by force, no matter what.

The first time I went, I was unsure how everything worked. Thankfully, there was an information booth that was extremely helpful. By now I am accustomed to the market as I go there so often. It is my favourite weekly ritual. It’s a great way to rediscover my city, meet new people, and try different kinds of foods, produce, and goodies such as delicious veggie springrolls and samosas from Good Morning Spring Rolls, blueberry scones and lemon cakes from Something Sweet by Fadiah, Kombucha from Crave Kombucha, coconut cookies from D’licious Treats, garlic from The Garlic Garden, and my favourites, Kale from Helio Trope Farm as well as produce from Lincoln Gardens Farm.

The reality is that the market is definitely a splurge. It is absolutely not cheap as everything is home-made or home grown right here in Saskatchewan, which I

If you want to make a day of it you can take out a cookbook at the library, pick a recipe to make, and head down the block to the market for ingredients!

Photo: Amina Salah

“If you are someone who does not like your greens, fried rice is the perfect way to sneak them in. The key is to season properly, and no this does not mean ketchup!”

–AminaSalah

understand. Thus, for students, it might not necessarily be the cheapest place to get produce. I view it as a seasonal event. Some people follow Fashion Week, I follow the Farmer’s Market. It is a way for me to indulge in organic produce and nourish my body whilst supporting local small businesses.

My favourite dish to make is what I like to call my Lazy Girl Kale Fried Rice. The Kale from Helio Trope Farm is especially perfect for this recipe. It is one of those recipes that is perfect to clean out the fridge and use up all your produce. Furthermore, a perfect fried rice recipe uses leftover rice. I’ve tried making it with fresh rice, and I can tell you, it is not the same. I prefer Basmati rice so that is what I use. I like to chop up some tomatoes, onions, cilantro, red bell peppers, and yellow bell peppers, and pour them into a pan or wok. amina salah

staff writer

I prefer sesame oil when making fried rice. It gives it a rich, nutty taste. For seasoning, I use sumac, lemon and herb seasoning, garlic, and a little bit of miso paste. Once everything is sautéed, I chop up some kale and cook it along with the other vegetables. The last step is to add the rice. It is important to use a fork to stir when you add the rice because using a spoon mashes up the rice. Once everything is cooked, I like to chop up some green onions and sprinkle them as a garnish over the fried rice.

This recipe has held me throughout university. It is something I always go back to because it is healthy and comforting. If you are someone who does not like your greens, fried rice is the perfect way to sneak them in. The key is to season properly, and no this does not mean ketchup! Ultimately, cooking is a life skill. The more you cook, the more you will become comfortable with cooking. The more comfortable you become, the better you become. In the end, this ensures you will always have specific recipes you can go back to. These are recipes that will have your back for life. Your body deserves nutrients, it deserves fuel, it deserves to be nourished and taken care of.

An athlete’s podcast recommendations

For laughs, learning, or a quick escape from the present moment, these podcasts will provide

sophia stevens s&h writer

When we talk about health, we often forget to talk about our mental health and well-being. Podcasts have become a domain where people can listen and feel more in-tuned to and mindful of their everyday lives. It is the idea of escaping from reality for a few moments while deeply assessing our own lives through a new and different perspective. Some people may find podcasts with expert opinions on mental health beneficial, whereas others may find a podcast with comedic aspects more mentally fulfilling. Below are three podcasts that all have very different set-ups and aims, but that all have the potential to improve your mental health, help introduce you to healthy coping mechanisms to try, or at the very least boost your mood.

We Can Do Hard Things

This podcast is hosted by Glennon Doyle, Amanda Doyle, and Abby Wambach. Glennon Doyle is a New York Times bestselling author and wife of Wambach, a former US professional soccer player who has won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup and is part owner of the Angel City FC soccer team. Amanda Doyle is a former attorney and is the current business manager for her sister Glennon Doyle. We Can Do Hard Things focuses on how painful experiences can lead us to do hard things even when we feel ill-prepared. The co-hosts interview people from various industries and sectors and discuss how tough moments have led them to success and gratitude. The overall idea of the podcast is that we are all in this together, and hopefully you will learn something from the podcast that will help to lighten your load just a bit. The We Can Do Hard Things podcast is uploaded weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays, and you can listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Smartless

If you are looking for a podcast that is easy to follow and will make you laugh, this is the podcast for you. Smartless is a podcast co-hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. Every week, one of the co-hosts will invite a celebrity guest to appear on the podcast without the other co-hosts knowing. Celebrities such as Ewan McGregor, Kerry Washington, Robert Downey Jr., and Jennifer Aniston (just to name a few) have appeared on the podcast. The other co-hosts then must guess who the celebrity guest is based on clues given by the co-host who already knows who the guest is. The podcast episode is then followed by a non-scripted interview by the co-hosts which often leads to banter and laugh-out-loud moments. The cohosts often create a comfortable space for the celebrity which allows the celebrity to express themselves in new and fun ways. You can catch Smartless every Monday wherever you get your podcasts. Theory, is the current host of Jeopardy and has a PhD in neuroscience. In 2021, the actress started a podcast focussing on mental health based on her own life experiences and the knowledge that she has accumulated over the years from her time studying neuroscience. Bialik co-hosts the podcast with her boyfriend Jonathan Cohen who is a poet, writer, and producer. The dynamic duo discusses topics anywhere from addiction to overthinking basic everyday tasks. Bialik and Cohen often use humour as a way to keep the listener engaged and to lighten the atmosphere when discussing intense issues. The Bialik Breakdown podcast is available anywhere you get your podcast and new episodes are out every Tuesday.

For that blue moon moment of stillness in your schedule.

Goldenviolinist via Pixabay manipulated by Lee Lim