Three girls from Oakville Soccer Club will be assessed by the top coaches in the country and are in positions to enter into the National Development Program. They are Madison London, Adrianna Bianchi, and Victoria Hawkins.
Elite goalkeepers are a hot commodity at any level. Oakville Soccer Club Technical Director Chris Grearson had no problem putting forward Madison London’s name when the initial round of invitations was sent out earlier this fall.
Madison’s early entry has allowed her to get an extended look at the operation and her competition; she beams about the quality and the conditions, “I really enjoyed the highly competitive environment and how everyone was pushing each other to be better.” You can understand her excitement when you realize she’s up to 12 months younger than many of the other girls.
While London looks to carve out a place for herself between the goalposts, Bianchi and Hawkins will be looking to make names for themselves in attacking roles.
If you ask either of the girls, they’ll tell you the same reasons as their coaches for why they have made it this far. Victoria says, “I work hard at every practice and every game; as a result, I have developed strong technical skills and creativity in making plays.” while Bianchi feels that her “work ethic and intensity” has allowed her to lead by example.
The national development combine will take place in Markham, and once the players have been selected, they will continue to train there five days a week. The girls will play in the Boys U14 OPDL Division, ensuring the girls will be anywhere from 12-24 months older than the boys.