A UVIC graduate, Shel Brodsgaard played professionally in the Canadian Soccer League, debuting in 1988 with the Edmonton Brickmen, later playing with the Victoria Vistas, Nova Scotia Clippers, North York Rockets and Winnipeg Fury. He also played for Hvidovre FC of the Danish first division and represented Canada internationally in Olympic qualifying matches in 1992. He has a level C National Coaching Program certificate, and has offered specialized training clinics through his company, Island Keeper Clinic. He was the goalkeeper coach for Canada's Women's World Cup soccer team and he was on staff with the Women's under-19 World Championship team when they won silver in Edmonton in 2002. He is the author of Soccer: Guarding the Goal (Bluefield, 2003), a guide to warm-ups and drills for coaches, which features anecdotes and tips from professional players.

Co-written with North Vancouver journalist Bob Mackin, Goals and Dreams: A Celebration of Canadian Women's Soccer (Nightwood, 2005) highlights the Edmonton Under-19 Women's World Championships and the Women's World Cup, in which Canada beat Argentina, Japan and China to clinch fourth place. In 1973, there were only three girls' soccer clubs in British Columbia. By 1980, there 317 teams playing under the BC Girls Soccer Association. In 2004, there were more than 347,000 women and girls playing nationally on registered teams-42 percent of Canada's 825,000 players. With profiles of Canada's top female players such as Charmaine Hooper and Kara Lang, Goals and Dreams recalls and celebrates the evolution of Canadian women's soccer.

BOOKS:

Soccer: Guarding the Goal (Bluefield, 2003)

Goals and Dreams: A Celebration of Canadian Women's Soccer (Nightwood, 2005). With Bob Mackin. 0-88971-205-0


[BCBW 2005] "Sports"