Salmon Arm’s Jill Flockhart, who started for the University of Idaho Vandals soccer team for four years, had a brief stint in Salmon Arm before preparing for her next adventure, Soccer Without Borders.
Flockhart will be heading to Uganda on July 14 with the non-governmental organization that encourages youth there to participate in soccer. Added to the game is a focus on education, self-confidence and work with women on equality.
Flockhart left Salmon Arm Monday for the U.S. where she will meet other interns participating in the program.
However, in her time at home, she shared some of her extensive soccer knowledge with some of the girls’ teams in town. One of those was the U11 girls, coached by Dan Gunn.
After Flockhart had stopped by a couple of the team’s practices, the team came up with an idea to reciprocate.
They decided to start fundraising to help Flockhart with her trip to Uganda. They began with a concession at their recent jamboree, from which she received half the proceeds.
“It’s something we want to do for Jill,” said Gunn. “We thought what a great role model for younger girls, and I think her support for the local community is really important.”
Gunn says the U11 girls hope to stay together until they’re a U18 team, so they hope to keep helping out for a long time.
“She’s off to work with children young and disadvantaged, through playing soccer and teaching English; I think it’s an amazing thing for an athlete at her level to do,” he says of Flockhart.
Gunn said his team has even thought of starting something of a sister-city program, where the local girls could write to some of the girls in Uganda.
Flockhart, meanwhile, says she really likes coaching and is hoping to get back to it when she returns.
Her internship lasts a year.
She says although coaching is fulfilling, she’s also pulled to keep playing.
“It’s mixed feelings. I just finished playing and I would like to be playing.”