By Jordan Parker

Programming that serves the entire community has also been close to Megan Meeds’ heart.

With Cleats and Beats – an initiative to keep the soccer alive for female youth – Meeds and volunteers were able to offer at outlet to play the sport in a safe atmosphere.

“It started with the Halifax City Soccer Club two years ago. I noticed there was a huge drop in girls continuing with the sport past 12 or 13 years of age. They were choosing different clubs, sports or quitting outright,” said Meeds.

“We needed to find ways to engage the girls outside regular program offerings.”

Cleats and Beats was conceived as a volunteer-led, affordable option that allowed tween girls and those who identify as female to play pick-up soccer together. Offered to athletes from Halifax City, Dunbrack and Inter Halifax soccer clubs with great music playing and an atmosphere of inclusivity, it was an immediate hit.

“What I learned through research on gender equity published by Canadian Women in Sport is that girls want programs designed for them. Whether it’s the songs they want to hear, T-Shirts with fun logos, or games and drills designed for them, we had to ensure it didn’t feel like the girls were an afterthought,” she said.

“There was fun four-on-four, tournament-style soccer games set to music, and it was a really fun thing to do on Fridays. It was a great way to get them out doing something soccer-related while being a bit innovative.”

It was open to U10, U11s and then the 12 and U13s were in another bracket. One of the other major barriers was cost, and Meeds said they kept sessions to $15 to not hinder participation.

With 78 players participating (37 U10/U11 and 41 U12/U13) and 16 female coaches (U15&U17) it was a program by and for young women.

“We went and got sponsorships so cost wasn’t a barrier, and we went to the soccer association memberships. We got female coaches and mentors, and it was really important to ensure there weren’t barriers for people. The $3,000 cost included the field, T-shirts, renting speakers, social media advertising, and all,” she said.

“There was four weeks of programming in April, between the summer and winter season. It was so popular between seasons that people want it again in the fall.”

Meeds also works on programming for the Halifax City Soccer Club & Halifax Special Olympics Soccer Unified program. In the initiative, Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities in the same team and training environments.

“It’s our second year running the program, and we (Halifax City Soccer Club and Inter Halifax Soccer Club) partner soccer teams from Special Olympics Halifax and Special Olympics Sackville Bedford. Each Saturday morning, athletes from Special Olympics mix with athletes from City and Inter Halifax, and they do skills and drills followed by a scrimmage,” she said.

“The primarily objective is to give the Special Olympics teams practice time on turf they may not otherwise get, and our dream is to one day, start  a unified league,” she said. “We ask that the neurotypical players be over 13, as some of them are playing with young adults.”

The Saturday morning event was low-cost, as Soccer Nova Scotia donated the field, and it was held for six weeks in between seasons.