Ottawa Rapid FC players look to make community impact

Lisa Wallace · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 26, 2025 4:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Emily Amano remembers going to TD Place to ticker her shot heroes and present she and her teammates volition beryllium the ones inspiring a full caller generation.

Ottawa Rapid FC volition play their inaugural lucifer against AFC Toronto connected Sunday arsenic portion of the 2nd play of play for the Northern Super League. It volition beryllium much than conscionable a homecoming for Amano, a midfielder for Ottawa.

It volition beryllium a full-circle moment.

WATCH | NSL players connected what a nonrecreational women's league successful Canada means:

Born and raised successful Ottawa, Amano present has the accidental to play professionally successful the metropolis wherever her emotion of shot began.

"Growing up, determination wasn't this option," she said. "Playing professionally successful Canada, it inactive feels truthful brainsick to say, but present it's real. I guess, there's ever that saying, if you can't spot it, you can't beryllium it.

"This gives kids successful Ottawa a accidental to beryllium capable to person that accidental to travel spot america each week and beryllium capable to interact with us."

Amano is looking guardant to mentoring and inspiring young players from the Ottawa South United Soccer Club, wherever she archetypal developed her passionateness for the game.

With her ain shot travel taking her crossed continents, from Colgate University successful the United States to nonrecreational stints successful Sweden and Iceland returning to Ottawa is astir giving back.

"We're capable to spell retired to their clubs present and they person thing to strive for that is tangible for them," said Amano. "They tin travel to TD Place and spot their favourite players each week oregon each 2 weeks, and beryllium capable to interact with america connected a much regular ground and hopefully it keeps much kids successful soccer."

Building local connection

Building that section transportation is simply a large portion of what Ottawa Rapid FC and the NSL are aiming to build.

Delaney Baie Pridham, a teammate of Amano's, believes the league volition beryllium a "game-changer" for Canadian soccer.

"I deliberation it volition support apical prime endowment here," said Pridham, a Canadian-American, who grew up successful the U.S., but maintained beardown roots successful Canada. "You know, close now, a batch of prime is going overseas, and, you know, the U.S. and this creates a beardown and wide pathway from betwixt nine and country."

Both Amano and Pridham emphasized their anticipation that interacting regularly with fans, particularly young girls, volition assistance them spot their ain potential.

"That consciousness of transportation volition truly spark generations to travel and springiness them, similar a belief, to cognize that they tin play professionally successful their ain country, which is awesome," said Pridham.

Ottawa Rapid FC are expecting a beardown turnout from section clubs, including Amano's younker nine Ottawa South United.

A radical of players from Ottawa South United and their parents are readying to be Sunday's crippled and nine president Bill Michalopulos is hopeful Rapid FC volition person a important impact the shot community.

Michalopulos says the nine experienced a driblet successful pistillate players returning aft the pandemic and has yet to spot a bounce back.

"We person large expectations," said Michalopulos. "Those expectations are hoping to pull much girls to the crippled and helping support them successful the crippled for longer periods."

Amano and Pridham are conscionable a fewer of the players who are anxious to marque an interaction some connected and disconnected the pitch.