By Dan Plouffe
An “experience of a lifetime” was the way members of the Cairine Wilson Secondary School senior girls’ soccer team summarized their April trip to B.C., where they participated in an exchange with Parkland Secondary School on the outskirts of Victoria.
“It was fantastic,” recounts Wildcats coach Stu Barbour, who did the bulk of the planning along with assistant Sarah Hurley through Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges Canada. “For kids from a land-locked part of Canada, it’s pretty exciting for them to do that. It’s really eye-opening for the girls to see another lifestyle.”
One shining example of the different west coast life was when the Wildcats played an exhibition match against Gulf Spring Islands. Around half of the students live on other surrounding islands and take a ferry to get to school each day.
“If you miss your boat, you literally miss your boat,” cracks Barbour, whose team also trained at the University of Victoria with the Vikes’ varsity head coach.
Count the marine experience as a favourite highlight for Grade 12 centre midfielder Emily Major. During a hike, the girls went to a rocky shore where they interacted with starfish, crabs, sea cucumbers, and seals.
“It was just so different from here. It was really neat,” describes Major, a Gloucester Hornets club player. “And seeing the mountains pop out of nowhere when it got clear outside was really cool.”
Strong team unity built
For Grade 9 Wildcat Megan Foy, the trip was a great bonding experience for the team that already feels like family to her. One moment that sticks out for Foy is when she was honored by her teammates with the construction hat that usually goes to the hardest-working player.
“It was my first time on an airplane. It was pretty rattling at first,” smiles Foy, also a Gloucester Hornet. “When the flight ended, they gave it to me for hardest-working passenger.”
The Wildcats were hosted at the homes of Parkland players during their eight-day stay. On top of the bond between their own team, the CW girls built connections with their B.C. counterparts as well.
“Right off the bat, we weren’t super comfortable, but when we got home that night, her family was super welcoming,” recounts Major, who previously went to Texas with her school team in Grade 10. “When they dropped us off at the ferry that last day, I started to cry, and then Emma started to cry, and her mom started to tear up a bit.”
Return exchange on tap
The Wildcats will get to see their friends again soon when they welcome Parkland for the return portion of the exchange starting on June 26, which happens to fall on the same date as CW’s senior prom.
Already on the agenda for the visitors are shawarma and Beavertail stops, day trips to Calypso water park and Montreal, and backyard pool parties.