Shannon Woeller grew up sitting in the stands at Swangard Stadium, cheering on her hometown Vancouver Whitecaps.

In a few short months, the Canadian defender will be the one playing on a local field, inspiring the next generation of soccer stars.

The Vancouver Rise announced Woeller as their first player signing in club history Monday.

Returning to Vancouver and playing in the newly created Northern Super League 91裸聊视频渕eans everything91裸聊视频� to the 34-year-old athlete.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 so special. This is so special for me to come home, be with my friends and my family, and also have the opportunity to help grow Canadian women91裸聊视频檚 football,91裸聊视频� she said.

Woeller is an intelligent, proven leader who91裸聊视频檒l set the tone for the squad, said Sinead King, Rise91裸聊视频檚 president.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 her professionalism, her leadership, her athleticism, but also her homegrown talent,91裸聊视频� she said.

The Rise announced last month that Anja Heiner-Moller will be the team91裸聊视频檚 head coach. Currently coach of Denmark91裸聊视频檚 U-19 women91裸聊视频檚 team, Heiner-Moller previously worked in Vancouver as an academy coach with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and North Shore Girls Soccer Club between 2018 to 2020 when her husband Kenneth Heiner-Moller was head coach of the Canadian women91裸聊视频檚 team.

Woeller played for Kenneth Heiner-Moller during her time on the national squad. She made 21 appearances for Canada91裸聊视频檚 women91裸聊视频檚 national team, including at the 2019 Women91裸聊视频檚 World Cup in France where the country was ousted by Sweden in the round of 16.

She also played with Stephanie Labbe, a former Canadian goalkeeper who91裸聊视频檚 now Rise91裸聊视频檚 sporting director.

The duo started talking about the new club and Woeller was eager to jump at the chance.

91裸聊视频淚 couldn91裸聊视频檛 get the idea out of my head once I thought that this was an opportunity,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淥bviously, there91裸聊视频檚 a big history of football in Vancouver, and the way the organization is being built, everyone91裸聊视频檚 really impressed me. So it was a pretty easy decision for me.91裸聊视频�

Woeller began her professional career in 2008, playing for the semi-pro Vancouver Whitecaps in the USL W-League, then went on to play for the Seattle Sounders in the same league. When the league folded in 2012, Woeller took her talents overseas, suiting up for clubs in Norway, Iceland, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

Each stop provided another set of lessons.

91裸聊视频淚 think what91裸聊视频檚 really cool about having all those different opportunities is every league you go to, you can learn something different from. So I think that91裸聊视频檚 been really helpful for me,91裸聊视频� Woeller said.

91裸聊视频淲hen I was in Germany, they were just really good tactically. In Spain, technically, obviously, they could play out of, like, a two inch square. And then Sweden91裸聊视频檚 pretty physical, but also a good combination of tactical as well. So I think just sort of putting all those experiences together is good, because you can help people in different ways.91裸聊视频�

Pursuing a soccer career abroad can be difficult, though. Players miss their families and can have trouble adapting to a whole new language and culture.

91裸聊视频淧laying overseas is an incredible opportunity, but it91裸聊视频檚 also not easy,91裸聊视频� Woeller said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 hard to be so far from home for so long. And I think when you91裸聊视频檙e over there too, you see girls, they91裸聊视频檝e got families, they91裸聊视频檝e got lives, and it91裸聊视频檚 hard not to be a little bit jealous of that.91裸聊视频�

The newly created Northern Super League 91裸聊视频� set to kickoff its inaugural season in April 91裸聊视频� gives Canadian players choices, she added.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been a really long time coming. And I think there was a lot of years where I didn91裸聊视频檛 think that this was ever going to happen.91裸聊视频�

Now the veteran defender is looking forward to providing girls an opportunity she didn91裸聊视频檛 have growing up 91裸聊视频� a chance to watch professional women91裸聊视频檚 soccer in Vancouver on a regular basis.

91裸聊视频淚 would have absolutely loved it. I would have begged my parents to go every day,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚 mean, I grew up going to the Whitecaps games at Swangard at the time when I was a kid, I loved that. And so now that girls can go see female games all the time, I think it91裸聊视频檚 going to be huge.91裸聊视频�