The captain’s arm band always seems to find Emma Regan.
She wore it in the Vancouver Whitecaps youth program when she was 14 years old. She captained the University of Texas Longhorns to a Big 12 championship and earned all-Big 12 honours three times. She had the band with her first professional team, HB K酶ge in Denmark.
So when AFC Toronto鈥檚 top brass approached the 25-year-old defender about two weeks before the Northern Super League聽season with the offer to lead the team, she didn鈥檛 make a big deal of it, although she admits having been a little surprised.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of great leaders on the team, a lot of experience. I think that it could have been any number of us, and I think that鈥檚 the mark of a good team,鈥 Regan told the Star. 鈥淥ur coaches are amazing but they鈥檝e brought players here that know what they鈥檙e doing聽鈥 That makes my job as captain very easy because everyone is kind of looking to be a leader.鈥
The qualities of a good captain include being a steady presence and an extension of the coach on the pitch, and a voice of reason off it. That鈥檚 what AFC 海角社区官网has found in Regan.
Any team with high expectations could have panicked after dropping the first two games of the season. 聽But Regan saw it as a 鈥済ood test鈥 of the team’s character and motivation for the rest of the season.
鈥淲hen you win, the stuff that you can improve on gets swept under the rug a little bit,” Regan said, “and you鈥檙e like, 鈥極K, we鈥檙e just going to do the same thing because we鈥檙e winning.鈥 But that doesn鈥檛 make you better.鈥澛
AFC responded to losses to Montreal and Ottawa with a win聽over Calgary and a draw聽with Vancouver, and the team’s聽confidence is as high as ever.
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鈥淚 think we dominated games and we kept learning from it and we kept improving, and we鈥檙e on the right path and we鈥檙e getting better every game. I think the sky is the limit for this team,鈥 Regan said. 鈥淲e hold ourselves to a very high standard and we are disappointed when we lose.鈥
The willingness to take the lead started early for Regan. The oldest sibling in a family of three girls, she remembers her parents doing what they could to support the kids, all of whom were athletic and required 鈥渁 lot of carpooling every weekend.鈥 Playing organized sports, including lacrosse, baseball, basketball, volleyball and track and field, helped Regan shape her people skills.
鈥淪he has never wanted the spotlight for herself,鈥 said her mother, Susan, noting Regan has always been driven by the desire to work hard and be vocal about what will make the team better. 鈥淪he鈥檚 always been caring, helping younger teammates. If someone is having a bad day, she鈥檒l be the one reaching out first.鈥
The family has been a constant source of support for Regan. They would wake up around 5 a.m. to watch the women鈥檚 national team in the 2012 London Olympics.聽They were at BMO Field to watch her professional debut in Canada to start the season. And they will be in Vancouver when she plays against her hometown team in July.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very proud of her and it鈥檚 cool to be able to see her play on a regular basis,鈥 said Susan, who noted it鈥檚 much better than having to fly to Copenhagen, which they did only once.
Regan understands the responsibility that comes with playing in Canada. She was once a ball girl at BC Place dreaming of one day becoming a professional player.
鈥淚f you had told me 10 years ago that I would get to just play soccer as my job, I would have been so happy,鈥 she said.
What does the landscape for women’s professional soccer look like in North America?
Regan got her dream job and, now that the early nerves are over, the captain’s focus is on one goal.聽鈥淚 want to win the league,鈥 she said matter-of-factly,
It will certainly be an uphill climb. 海角社区官网is currently fifth in the six-team league standings, with just four points out of a possible 12. But there are 21 more matches,聽聽starting in Halifax on Saturday.
鈥淎ll the other teams, commentators, coaches, the league, fans, people seem to hold us to a higher regard than they do the other teams, and I like that.,” Regan said. “I want us to be held to that higher standard.鈥
That is the kind of belief AFC Toronto鈥檚 front office wanted in their team leader.
鈥淪he鈥檚 someone every coach would love to have,鈥 head coach Marko Milanovic said, praising Regan for her no-nonsense character .
鈥淲e had no doubt about who our captain would be and I couldn鈥檛 ask for a better captain. What we asked is for her to be herself because she leads by example and she does everything right on and off the field.鈥
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