Men and women's soccer teams win Marauders honours prior to playoff games as regular season winds down
On Oct. 23, McMaster Athletics and Recreation announced the Marauder Athlete of the Week awards recognizing outstanding athletic performances for the week of Oct. 16 to 23. Emilie Calabrese and Sachin Sargeant from the women and men’s soccer team respectively were given the honours to close out the final week of the season.
Both players played crucial roles to help their teams to late-season victories.
Calabrese scored a pivotal penalty goal for the Marauders on Oct. 20 against the University of Windsor Lancers. Despite quickly finding themselves down 2-0 in the first five minutes of play, Calabrese capitalized on a foul call towards the end of the half to narrow the deficit for the team.
Despite quickly finding themselves down 2-0 in the first five minutes of play, Calabrese capitalized on a foul call towards the end of the half to narrow the deficit for the team.
The veteran midfielder would go on to chip in an assist to forward Alena Spehar at the 67:49 mark, as the Marauders eventually went on to win the game 3-2.
Despite losing their final regular season game 0-2 against the Western University Mustangs, Calabrese and the women’s team finished with an excellent record of eight wins, two losses and two ties.
For the men’s team, Sargeant nabbed his first goal of the season on Oct. 22 against the Mustangs. A late goal by midfielder Joseph Guindy helped to seal the game for the maroon and grey as they collected a win in their final bout before the Ontario University Athletics playoffs.
The match marked the seventh regular season win for the men, who tied for the third best record with the University of Guelph Gryphons in the west OUA conference.
The match marked the seventh regular season win for the men, who tied for the third best record with the University of Guelph Gryphons
The men’s team began their postseason on Oct. 25 as they won their opening round game against Wilfrid Laurier University 1-0. On Oct. 28, the women faced the Gryphons in their quarterfinal at Ron Joyce Stadium.
After encouraging efforts by both the men and women throughout the regular season, the Marauders will hope to make a deep playoff push and bring this year’s provincial championship home to Hamilton.
The Silhouette sits down with team members from the women's cross country and soccer team to hear how they are celebrating Halloween this year
Many of the Marauder teams have plans to celebrate Halloween together, including women's cross country and women's soccer teams.
The Silhouette sat down with Olivia MacAskill from the cross country team and Ravina Braich and Nikki Pourgoutzidis from the soccer team to hear more about their plans.
The Silhouette: Do you like Halloween?
MacAskill: I do really enjoy Halloween. I think it’s really fun to show some Halloween spirit around the team and at practice. I think this day also serves as a nice reminder that it doesn’t have to be so serious all the time and we can keep working on getting stronger as a team and put some good work in at practice, all while having some fun with costumes. I am also a strength and conditioning student coach at [McMaster University], and this year I’ve heard word that there will be a costume contest between the coaches and student coaches. I am definitely looking forward to that and I hope my peanut butter toast costume is received well by the judging panel.
I think it’s really fun to show some Halloween spirit around the team and at practice. I think this day also serves as a nice reminder that it doesn’t have to be so serious all the time and we can keep working on getting stronger as a team and put some good work in at practice, all while having some fun with costumes.
Olivia MacAskill, team member, Marauders cross country
Braich and Pourgoutzidis: We do, we really like to dress up and get candy.
The Silhouette: What is your Halloween costume this year?
MacAskill: At practice this year I think I will wear my peanut butter toast costume. There is a matching jam suit to go with it. [They are] a couples costume from Spirit Halloween that I usually convince a teammate to wear with me every year for practice, so hopefully someone steps up with some good Halloween spirit.
Braich and Pourgoutzidis: We are going to be Barbie and the three musketeers, from a Barbie movie, where it's Barbie and her three friends [as the musketeers].
The Silhouette: What is your favourite Halloween memory at Mac?
MacAskill: I remember in first year we had a practice on Halloween, I didn’t wear a costume and I wasn’t expecting my teammates to wear any either. When I arrived to practice, I remember seeing some of the upper year boys dressed in some fun outfits, including a cow costume! Paula, our coach, has also dressed her dog Lily up in some cute costumes over the years and even owns one of those big inflatable costumes as well, which has made an appearance before. After first year, my friends and I always made an effort to wear costumes to the practices that fell around Halloween. In my second year I took the Hawaiian theme approach. . .It seemed simple and an outfit I could easily run in. In the third and fourth year the toast costumes came out. I can’t say this costume is the easiest to run in, but it is definitely the most fun! I think that will be the plan again for this year as well.
In the third and fourth year the toast costumes came out. I can’t say this costume is the easiest to run in, but it is definitely the most fun! I think that will be the plan again for this year as well.
Olivia MacAskill, team member, Marauders cross country
What are you most excited about for your first Halloween at Mac?
Braich: I’m excited to see what everyone dresses up as and to meet new people this Halloween.
Pourgoutzidis: I’m excited for a floor trick or treating event. Our floor is going to walk around and trick or treat at people’s dorm rooms.
A quick rundown on intramural opportunities at McMaster and how students can register
On Aug. 28, McMaster Athletics and Recreation released their 2023-2024 intramural sports calendar. The calendar details the many indoor and outdoor sports taking place over both terms this year along with important information about the types of leagues offered, roster requirements, play styles and times of the week that the intramural will run.
The fall semester will include intramurals such as three-pitch softball, flag football and spikeball, kickball, touch rugby, Halloween dodgeball, seated volleyball and fantasy football and NFL picks. Registration for these fall leagues and tournaments runs from Sept. 6-18.
The fall semester will include intramurals such as three-pitch softball, flag football and spikeball, kickball, touch rugby, Halloween dodgeball, seated volleyball and fantasy football and NFL picks.
For the winter, the department will offer intramurals including ice hockey, badminton and cricket and tournaments for three-on-three March Madness basketball, table tennis and wheelchair European handball. Registration for these winter leagues and tournaments will run from Nov. 13-26.
Students are able to join up to one gendered men’s or women’s league as well as an open league with no gender-based roster requirements or a Corec league with sport-specific gender-based roster requirements.
Different intramural styles are also present for students of varying experience levels and desires for competitive play. PlayFun leagues offer an opportunity for both beginners and veterans to participate in intramurals without overly aggressive play. On the other hand, PlayComp leagues are geared towards players who wish for a more intensive and quicker intramural style.
To sign up, students must create an account through the IMLeagues website and select McMaster University as their school. Once students are registered, they can find and join an intramural league by creating a team as a captain and sending invite requests or emails for other members to join.
Once students are registered, they can find and join an intramural league by creating a team as a captain and sending invite requests or emails for other members to join
Students can also sign up as a free agent within a league and division of their choice for members on the site to add to their team. Remaining free agents will be assigned to teams once all of their members are confirmed at the end of the fall and winter registration period.
More information about intramurals can be found through Instagram @macintramurals or on the intramural sports page on the McMaster Athletics and Recreation website.
In the coming school year, the HPA is going to allow more McMaster teams to use its space, free of charge
Created in 2021, the McMaster University High Performance Area was built to give varsity athletes a space to be coached for sport-specific workouts. The space houses an array of equipment including squat racks, Keiser units and a turf field.
The facility is a world-class space, bringing prestige to the university and, most importantly, helping the student athletes that attend McMaster to reach their full potential.
While the HPA has been up and running for the past two years, only teams within the U SPORTS league—including sports such as, swimming, wrestling, soccer and women’s rugby—were allowed to make use of the space without payment.
While the HPA has been up and running for the past two years, only teams within the U SPORTS league—including sports such as, swimming, wrestling, soccer and women’s rugby—were allowed to make use of the space without payment.
This set up left teams that participate in the Ontario University Athletics league, such as the baseball, fencing and golf teams, without a space to weightlift, train and be coached in the strength and conditioning field.
In the past, the only way for these teams to access the HPA was to pay out of pocket. Compounded with other payments these athletes need to make for their sport, such transportation and equipment fees, these costs have often not been reasonable for them to pay.
“Last year what we did was [OUA sports teams] paid per coach, so they only paid for the coach’s time. But really the students had to pay for a building in their own facility,” said manager of HPA and High Performance Programs Ben Bahrami.
This year, Bahrami opted to change this set up. As of this semester, OUA teams will be allowed to train in the HPA free of charge during specified open hours.
“I’ve proposed removing the team-specific training for any essentially teams that aren’t U SPORTS level and anyone that’s OUA, and some of our U Sports teams that just have a lot of class conflicts with their team times. Anyone in that category essentially comes in during open hours. This way they can have access more than the one or two hours they’re scheduled in,” said Bahrami.
The goal is to allow more athletes to use the space, help to maintain their health throughout the season and the offseason, and help them reach their goals.
“We want to provide a high enough product for students who came to McMaster to then go to the professional ranks or to play for a national team, so you have to provide that high level but also provide a basic program for someone that just wants to stay healthy and play sports for a few years,” said Bahrami.
“We want to provide a high enough product for students who came to McMaster to then go to the professional ranks or to play for a national team, so you have to provide that high level but also provide a basic program for someone that just wants to stay healthy and play sports for a few years,”
Ben Bahrami, HPA and High Performance Programs Manager
This change could bring some drawbacks, with the HPA space being a limited 3700 square feet and containing only 10 racks, which can lend itself to overcrowding.
“That's kind of the biggest challenge is balancing out the resources versus everything you want to do and everyone that wants to do X, Y and Z for their own development,” said Bahrami.
Ultimately though, this change will hopefully be a great step for McMaster sports moving forward as allowing more athletes to access high performance spaces will improve the student athlete experience and help teams and athletes reach their goals.
As we begin the new school year, women's volleyball, men's soccer, wrestling, cross country and men's volleyball are the teams to keep a close eye on
The 2022-2023 year of sports at McMaster University was one to remember. With championship wins, great individual performances and numerous events packed with fans, there is plenty to be proud of. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, here are teams you should be sure to keep your eye on.
Women’s Volleyball
The 2022-2023 season for McMaster’s women volleyball team ended prematurely with close loss to York University in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals.
Next season, the team will look to turn things around. A number of returning OUA all-star veterans will look to lead the team to greater heights. Notable players include Sullie Sundara, who hopes to continue a run of great form after a second commanding season, and Hayley Brooks, the team’s defensive minded libero.
With newly appointed head coach Nathan Janzen leading the squad, this Marauders team will be one to look out for. Janzen leads the Canadian youth national volleyball team and has previously served as an assistant for the Marauders women’s volleyball team. He will likely have his sights set on capturing a national title, especially with the Marauders hosting this year's U Sports national tournament.
Men’s Soccer
Last season saw the men’s soccer team capture a historic OUA title. After this previous success for the team, they will be looking to continue their impressive form this coming year.
Next year’s roster will miss Miles Green, who led the team in total goals scored, and Ahmad Mansour, the team’s dominant centre-back. However, quality remains in the squad, with key returning players such as Gianluca Spadafora, the team’s captain and OUA second-team all-star, and Ethan Cagalj, an OUA second-team all-star goalkeeper.
Another change to the team’s head coach will be another challenge for the Marauders this season though. Interim head coach Tristan Joyce will be looking to prove himself in the coming season. Joyce is a former Marauder men’s soccer player who graduated from the program in 2021.
Wrestling
Both the men and women’s wrestling teams continually impress and the Marauders consistently found themselves on top of the podium in the 2022-2023 season.
Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s team had a phenomenal first season where she went undefeated, medaled gold in the OUA finals and finished in second at U Sports Nationals. As she goes into her second year, she will be one to watch closely.
On the men’s side, first-year Karanveer Mahil also showed well in his rookie season. Mahil topped the podium numerous times throughout the year and medalled silver in the OUA finals. At U Sports Nationals, Mahil earned himself gold to cap off an impressive first season.
After an impressive regular season for the team, four Marauder wrestlers and head coach Ahmed Shamiya went on to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games. At the event, Mahil and Di Benedetto both earned medals and they will certainly be looking to continue to their successes this coming winter.
Cross Country
This team had plenty to be proud of in the 2022-2023 season. On the men’s side, Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Alex Drover helped in creating a historic year for their team. Turek won gold at both the OUA finals and the U Sports Nationals, with Davies and Drover finishing just behind him in both competitions.
The women’s team came up with impressive results throughout the year as well. Second-year Rosalyn Barrett placed third in OUA Championships and thirtieth at U Sports nationals. Hannah Goodjohn, a fourth-year, placed eleventh in the OUAs after a consistent season for the Marauders.
Head coach Paula Schnurr also earned her own accolade throughout the season by winning OUA coach of the year. As she heads into the new season, she will look to fill the holes left by her graduated runners, including Turek and Davies.
Men's Volleyball
After a dominant past season which saw the team capture the provincial banner, the men’s volleyball team is consistently one of McMaster’s top teams.
Sam Cooper dominated with 47 kills over the last season. His departure to the Polish professional league will leave a hole in the team, one hopefully that a younger player may fill.
Maxime Gratton also dominated the year with 109 kills. He will be looking to improve upon his past season and combine with veteran Peter Rugosi after two years of experience.
Last year’s heartbreaking loss in the U Sports semifinals will have the team hungry for more, with new head coach Brad Douwes looking to fill the gaps and step into the massive shoes left by former head coach Dave Preston.
Forge partners with Volkswagen to support speqtrum Hamilton through proceeds from Pride match featuring the Pacific Football Club
The Forge Football Club hosted a Pride soccer match sponsored by Volkswagen with proceeds going to support speqtrum, a 2SLGBTQIA+ program through the Young Women’s Christian Association of Canada’s Hamilton chapter.
Focusing on community building and development, speqtrum provides services, events and skill workshops to assist queer and trans young people in Hamilton. speqtrum also offers programs such as weekly check-ins, peer support with staff to chat and provide services over online platforms.
On June 1, the team announced on Instagram post that their June 10 home game at Tim Hortons Field would be held in celebration of Pride month.
"I think it’s important for us to host [the Pride match] for a number of reasons, but the least of all just visibility and going the extra mile to prove that Tim Hortons Field is an inclusive space,” said Shannon Connolly, manager of community partnerships for Forge FC.
I think it’s important for us to host [the Pride match] for a number of reasons, but the least of all just visibility and going the extra mile to prove that Tim Hortons Field is an inclusive space.
Shannon Connolly, manager of community partnerships, Forge Football Club
The team also announced multiple promotional and merchandise opportunities through which fans could donate to the program. These include a “#BeTheChange Pride Package’’ which contained a ticket to the game, a commemorative pride Forge FC shirt, a charitable $10 donation to speqtrum and a $10 matching donation made by Volkswagen.
In addition to the package, $5 proceeds from the team’s Pride collection sales will also be donated to speqtrum for the remainder of the merchandise’s supply.
"Our mandate in our community department is always to focus on healthy, active and empowered youth . . . We immediately thought of speqtrum when we were looking for a partner for this match because they work really closely with youth and families,” said Connolly.
Our mandate in our community department is always to focus on healthy, active and empowered youth . . . We immediately thought of speqtrum when we were looking for a partner for this match because they work really closely with youth and families.
Shannon Connolly, manager of community partnerships, Forge Football Club.
The first 3,000 fans who attended the game were given a Pride Forge FC bandana as part of the team’s giveaway. Unique visual elements were present at the match, including custom corner flags as well as a rainbow-coloured armband for Kyle Bekker, the team captain for the Forge.
Per Connolly, approximately 200 tickets were donated to speqtrum on behalf of Forge and Volkswagen and given to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth from across Hamilton to attend the match.
Per Connolly, approximately 200 tickets were donated to speqtrum on behalf of Forge and Volkswagen and given to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth from across Hamilton to attend the match.
Playing against the Pacific Football Club, the Forge lost 0-1 after a late game goal by forward Djenairo Daniels. Both teams played a tightly contested game all throughout the match. After a scoreless first half, a misplay by Forge players Dom Samuel and Triston Henry allowed Pacific FC forward Daniels to notch a wide-open goal in the 85th minute of play.
Despite a 56.4 per cent possession rate for the Forge, the Pacific’s 16 shots and relentless offense managed to overpower the hometown Hammers and bring the visitors to victory. After the game, the Forge sit in third place in the Canadian Premier League standings with four wins, four draws and two losses.
The Forge continue to make donations to speqtrum with merchandise purchases from their 2023 Pride Collection along with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
After a full three years of serving as the group's president, the McMaster professor steps down following an array of controversies
The past few years have been some of the best for Canadian soccer to date. In 2021, the women's national team achieved a spectacular achievement, winning the gold medal at the Olympics in Japan. This remarkable milestone was the first golden medal any Canadian soccer team won on the global stage, which has shown that there is significant potential within the country's soccer program.
Just a year later, the men's team has done something that hasn’t been done since 1986 — they qualified for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The success that Canadian soccer was picking up over the last two years period has been remarkable and has shown signs of improvement in both sections after a very long time.
All this success occurred under the recent president of Canada Soccer Association, and McMaster University professor, Nick Bontis. Bontis became the president of Canadian Soccer in Nov. 2020, after being selected by the board members in a successful run. However, on Feb. 27, he stepped down amid a letter from territorial and provincial soccer federations requesting he resigned due to the vast labor dispute between the women's and men's senior national teams.
What exactly happened to the Canadian Soccer federation as of late?
It all began with the She Believes Cup, a women's soccer tournament between four different countries, including Canada. Prior to the start of the tournament, CSA released a funding statement that outlined expenses for both men's and women's soccer teams where women's funding was significantly below their counterparts. Additionally, the team was informed that due to budget cuts, their time at the camp and the number of players invited has been reduced.
This information sparked outrage and soon enough the women’s soccer team started a strike right before the cup took place, to which Canada Soccer sharply responded.
“Headed into the February window, CANWNT was set to participate in the tournament with the likes of USA, Brazil and Japan. Just as they arrived, they’ve been informed that due to the budgeting issues they will have to spend less time on camp and not have as many players invited. The players decided to strike and not play the SBC, to which CSA threatened to sue the group,” said Mariam Kourabi, founder of “She Scores Bangers”, a popular podcast that focuses on women's soccer in Canada and around the world.
Although there has been a significant dispute between the association and women's players, men’s players in the likes of Alistair Johnson have also stepped up to support the team in their actions.
After weeks of negotiations, Nick Bontis had decided to step down as president of the CSA, citing that “change is needed”. Although the change has been welcomed by many fans and analysts, it’s still not perfect according to Kourabi.
“It’s the first step in the right direction, he had treated the WNT as an afterthought with no vision in the program. The current acting president, Chermaine Crooks, has been the vice president until now and has been a part of his team throughout which is worrying,” explained Kourabi.
Not only has Crooks been a part of Bontis’ team until her presidency, but the players have also made it clear that they don’t have confidence in her as the acting president.
Although recent years have been some of the best for Canada Soccer, there are still these huge underlying issue to be resolved. The funding for both teams has not been equal and had not reflected the success of the women’s team, especially after the Olympics gold medal. After all the success, we are yet to see real change in the structure of the Canadian Soccer Association.
We’ve heard about the teams and the athletes, but what is it like being on the sidelines for games getting the shots that end up on social media?
Behind every great photo is a great photographer. Although McMaster University athletes earn their poise through good performances on and off the field, media personnel are those that are responsible for publication of their success to the wider audience, such as the students.
One of the main individuals that can be praised for creating a good image of McMaster sports is Kevin Lassl, a fifth year materials engineering student, who is also one of the primary photographers for varsity sports at McMaster. Being mostly responsible for volleyball and soccer games, Lassl is very passionate about photography and enjoys his job.
“Photography to me is a hobby, it has been something that I’ve been enjoying for a long time, so this job came around as a very handy opportunity. I remember seeing the job posting some time ago and decided to go for it, turns out it was such a good decision,” said Lassl.
Photography to me is a hobby, it has been something that I’ve been enjoying for a long time, so this job came around as a very handy opportunity. I remember seeing the job posting some time ago and decided to go for it, turns out it was such a good decision.
Kevin Lassl, one of the primary photographers for varsity sports at McMaster University
Something that the wider public doesn’t know about photography with the Marauders is that the employees get full flexibility with their work and can arrange in advance which games they’d be available for.
“My supervisors are very lenient flexibility-wise. Sometimes it can be hard for me to attend some games due to school related instances such as labs and midterms, but they always understand. It’s important for me to let them know in advance so they can allocate me to another game when I am free. I am also able to be assigned to a few sports to follow throughout the season, which in my case are men and women’s volleyball and soccer teams,” explained Lassl.
Another aspect of working as a photographer for the Marauders is the freedom to produce any photograph the employee wishes, with very limited restrictions. The freedom of range is significant, enabling creative confidence and allowing unique visions to flow.
“The great thing about the Marauders is that I don’t get commands on how I can take my photos. This means that I get to pick the angles, how to edit the photos and how many I can take during the games. This definitively makes the job a lot less stressful,” said Lassl.
The great thing about the Marauders is that I don’t get commands on how I can take my photos. This means that I get to pick the angles, how to edit the photos and how many I can take during the games. This definitively makes the job a lot less stressful.
Kevin Lassl, one of the primary photographers for varsity sports at McMaster University
Although Lassl has been chosen as one of the primary photographers for the Marauders soccer and volleyball teams this season, so far, he has only done his job at home games. Although away games would create intrigue, the home soil is where Lassl has spent his time this season.
“Over the past semester, I had the great opportunity to take photos at the Ron Joyce Stadium and David Braley Athletic Centre (DBAC), among other places. All these games were hosted by McMaster, so I still didn’t have the opportunity to go to any away games so far. Certainly, if my schedule allows it and I get a call up from the supervisor, it can be a possibility that I go to an away game soon.” said Lassl.
Photography is not an easy job, there is always a lot of pressure lurking on getting that one right shot that can be published around the school. More often than not, individuals focus on the athletes rather than the ones who help them achieve the publicity they deserve. Lassl is certainly one of those that has helped the soccer and volleyball teams through his great photography this season.
After a breakthrough summer and fall season, Miles Green becomes the first Marauder to be chosen in round one of the Canadian Premier League’s U Sports draft
The Marauder men’s soccer team had a season like no other this past fall. The team clinched their first OUA title since 2012 and the season saw numerous players step up in big ways. One of the players to do so was fifth year striker, Miles Green.
Green’s ability to score helped his team on numerous occasions. He scored a total of six goals over a ten-game regular season and added two more to his tally in the postseason. He was also able to add three assists to his statistics.
The team’s striker is no stranger to making an impact on games. During Green’s summer season, playing in Ontario’s semi-pro League 1, the striker was able to score 23 goals in just 20 games.
His composure in front of goal, as well as various other attributes caught the eye of many, including coaches at the professional level. These aspects of his game also gave Green his first feature on the Ontario University Athletics all-star team.
“I think the first thing that got Forge interested in me was my scoring numbers but I think they also saw my versatility and creativity because I can play more than one position. I think it's something they liked,” said Green.
“I think the first thing that got Forge interested in me was my scoring numbers but I think they also saw my versatility and creativity because I can play more than one position. I think it's something they liked.”
Miles Green
It was at this year’s Canadian Premier League U Sports draft that Green was selected to attend the training camp of Hamilton’s professional soccer team, Forge Football Club. This gives Green the possibility of earning a roster spot on the team.
A spot is not guaranteed for Green though. For each CPL team, there are only 23 roster spots.
Green’s ability to play multiple positions on a forward line, hold the ball up, take defenders on the dribble and, most notably, score will put Green in great standing to earn himself a spot. As a player who hasn’t been in a major spotlight before this previous year, Green’s quick rise is noteworthy.
“I had a lot of ups and downs throughout my years at [McMaster University] and it showed me things don’t need to be linear. Progression in both sports and life don’t need to be linear. It’s something I think we all need to give an understanding to,” explained Green.
His rise has caught the attention of many and has helped to bring fans out to Marauders soccer games. The men’s side had a high of 425 fans in their OUA semi-final match, in which Green scored twice.
The CPL season begins in early April, meaning training camp is soon beginning. He hopes to make the team and grow from there, all while having pride in what he’s accomplished at McMaster University.
“Winning OUA was a dream. I’ve wanted to win it before I came to Mac. I’m excited for what this will all do for the McMaster and Hamilton soccer programs,” said Green.
"Winning OUA was a dream, I’ve wanted to win it before I came to Mac. I’m excited for what this will all do for the McMaster and Hamilton soccer programs."
Miles Green
The impressive feat that Green has accomplished will have great impacts for the McMaster men's soccer program as a whole. Though he may not return back to McMaster soccer next season, his name and accomplishments will be well known throughout the Hamilton community for a long time.
McMaster student Mariam Kourabi has created a growing YouTube channel over the past six months to provide a presence of conversation regarding women’s soccer
Mariam Kourabi, a McMaster University student with a passion in the world of soccer, decided to make use of her knowledge in women’s soccer to create a unique YouTube channel: SHE scores bangers. This channel is dedicated to fostering important discussions about women’s soccer around the world.
“My YouTube channel is essentially all about women’s soccer. It is a project that I launched earlier this summer and so far, it’s been successful. I tend to cover different aspects of women’s soccer, such as the World Cup, major leagues, analysis, injuries among other things,” said Kourabi.
Although the channel is relatively new, Kourabi impresses with her consistent content creation. On the channel’s Twitter page, she keeps up her followers with daily updates on different situations within the soccer world, whether it's through text or media. Her video content is posted on a weekly basis and she has achieved 28,000 views in six months.
“My general goal is to post one to two videos a week onto the YouTube channel. This way, I can provide my audience with more content that they can follow on a weekly basis. Not only that, but I also post daily updates on the channel’s Twitter account. Do I find that sometimes school gets in the way? Of course, during midterm or finals season, I tend to post less but I still want to keep up with providing consistent content. Sometimes when I know that I have a midterm that is coming up next week, I would record extra videos over the weekend so that I have more time to focus on my studies whilst still posting content,” explained Kourabi.
Women’s soccer does not get as much publicity as men’s, evidenced by media coverage over the years, among other aspects such as ticket sales and TV viewership. This has produced a sense of inequality that is visible to all, with most YouTube channels and other media outlets covering mainly men’s soccer, whether it’s the World Cup or the Champions League. Kourabi aims to create more equality thorough conversations regarding women’s soccer, and by creating a presence of attention towards it.
“Generally speaking, there is a lack of conversation when it comes to women’s soccer. Therefore, I created the channel, I want to create more ambition and give more presence to the conversation about the subject and keep it relevant. Over time, I’m hoping that more people will gain interest in the channel, and the message would spread that women’s soccer deserves as much attention as men’s [soccer]. For now, I feel that I am progressing well with the channel and hope that it continues that way,” said Kourabi.
Over time, I’m hoping that more people will gain interest in the channel, and the message would spread that women’s soccer deserves as much attention as men’s [soccer]. For now, I feel that I am progressing well with the channel and hope that it continues that way.
Mariam Kourabi, FOUNDER Of SHE scores bangers
It’s not every day you hear about a student creating a successful YouTube channel that focuses on bringing in an important conversation into the sporting world, but Kourabi defies this expectation. With her stellar rise in popularity over the past few months, her channel is showing great potential and we can expect many more things from SHE scores bangers in the future.
