The Club de soccer de Longueuil made an organizational culture change to also recruit female players. (Picture: courtesy)
The Club de soccer de Longueuil (CSL) was recently crowned the organization of the year by Égale Action as part of its Women of Influence in Sport in Quebec 2022 gala.
The CSL won ahead of Baseball Québec and Ski acro Québec due to its many initiatives aimed at encouraging players to practice this sport.
In 2019, the Club de soccer de Longueuil took a turn by making the development of the women’s section a priority, after noting a low participation rate for girls and women.
“Our soccer club evolves in an environment rich in socio-economic diversity, a community for which it is not necessarily natural to enroll a girl in soccer,” acknowledged Gilbert Bayiha, technical director at the Club de soccer de Longueuil and coach. of the local women’s semi-pro team, in the CSL’s nomination video. We can see it here.
To be nominated was a relative achievement that the club welcomed “with great humility because we still have a lot of work to do to be exemplary”, he added.
Inclusion, respect, equity and accessibility are the values that guide the CSL in its actions.
The Égale Action organization said it had received “many very high quality applications” for its 2022 gala. The jury did not have the easy task of designating three finalists per category.
Measures put forward
- The creation of a semi-professional soccer team in 2020;
- Parity within the board of directors ratified in the general regulations;
- The revision of the technical supervision structure with a pole dedicated to the women’s sector;
- The setting up of an elite summer development camp for girls aged 9 to 15.
- The establishment of an exclusively female community senior league;
Inclusive writing in the communications of the Club de soccer de Longueuil.
Gilbert Bayiha, technical director at the Club de soccer de Longueuil, holding the trophy in his hands. (Picture: courtesy)
