Soccer sisters square off against each other at ' Dangerfield Classic'
The Dangerfield parents have a tough decision coming up — what colours to wear when watching their daughters play in the Crowchild Classic.
Calgary Dinos women’s soccer fullback Taylor Dangerfield will be matching up against her older sister, Jolee, in what their dad, Mike, has proclaimed the “Dangerfield Classic.”
“We’re going to get a U of C shirt and a Mount Royal shirt and stand at the 50- yard line,” Mike joked.
“Whatever team plays one of my kids I’ll cheer for ( my girls) and if they are both on I will just have to be careful.”
Their first matchup in September was easy with Taylor dressing but not playing, and Jolee not dressing for the game, but their Oct. 22 matchup could be a different story.
“It was still fun though, getting to play opposite schools in the Crowchild Classic,” she said.
“But we play them again at Mount Royal, so hopefully we get to faceoff then.”
Sibling rivalry continues onto the pitch, and every ball and every opportunity is “fair game.”
Taylor Dangerfield got her first taste of the soccer life at three years old; she would dribble the ball up and down the field, trying to keep up with her older sisters who were on the pitch.
When she was four, she was finally old enough to don her own jersey, and hasn’t stopped since. She played Tier 1 at 13 years old, and also played Under 16 with Jolee, at only 12 years old, and said it helped her grow as a player and developed her strength.
“They were a lot older than me, and stronger and more aggressive, and I think, maybe technically I wasn’t as good a player when I went back to my own age group, but I had the physical side of the game,” she said.
The first- year Dino has played other sports, but said it always comes back to soccer. Running in the family — her older sisters Jolee, Rylee and Jordan all playing the game as well as her dad when he was younger — it was natural for her to jump onto the pitch.
Normally at mid- field, Dangerfield is adjusting to her new fullback position. For her, the hardest part is judging how far the ball will go because, “for me, if you see that they’re going to kick the ball you have to drop really quickly so that it doesn’t go over your head, and I have caught myself a few times in the last few games — the ball going over my head and being caught in a foot race with their striker.”
But the position on the field isn’t the only one she is getting used to — transitioning from high school to university has put some added stress on the first- year student.
Coming home at 10: 30 p. m. from games and catching up on missed classes is something she wasn’t anticipating.
“I didn’t realize how much you actually have to do on your own,” said Dangerfield.
“My friends that I am close with understand that soccer is my first priority. Everything kind of revolves around that; ‘ sorry, I have soccer.’”
Dangerfield said she would love to continue with soccer at a professional level once she graduates, but isn’t focusing on the level of play too much, rather just keeping up with the sport she loves.
“If the opportunity arises I would love to do a professional sport, but if it doesn’t I am happy just playing with the university and then a little bit afterwards, as well.”