Making It Happen – Here’s How

Sylvie at the FIFA Futuro III course in Cape Verde in November - December 2005

For many years, Sylvie Béliveau has been travelling the developing world, bringing the sport of football (soccer) to countless women as an instructor in coach education with FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). The importance of this initiative, and Sylvie’s role in it, cannot be overstated. Opportunities to play and compete are generally taken for granted in Canadian society, although it is undeniable that inequities do exist. Nevertheless, they pale in comparison to inequities in many other parts of the world where sport for women is restricted or non-existent because it is culturally unacceptable or is deemed a male-only domain.

As its mission statement makes clear, FIFA has acknowledged sport as a powerful tool in “overcoming social and cultural obstacles … with the ultimate aim of improving women’s standing in society.” The Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching is indebted to Sylvie for chronicling her experiences for our readers. In an increasingly pessimistic environment, too little is known about the contributions of coaches such as she who understand sport’s potential as an instrument of positive change, who are deeply committed, and who give unstintingly of their expertise to help improve the lives of women through sport.

Sylvie also relates her inspiring journey from top player to national coach, an experience that influenced her commitment to “giving back”. While not every woman coach can, or should, aspire to the national and international arenas and playing fields, the beauty of Sylvie’s learnings is that they can be applied at all levels of the coaching spectrum. — Sheila Robertson

The views expressed in the articles of The Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching are those of the authors and do not reflect the policies of the Coaching Association of Canada.

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le Journal en français

July 2008
Vol. 8, No.3
Front Page
CONTENTS

Making It Happen – Here’s How

by Sylvie Béliveau

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