RHIAN SOCCER REPORTS AND MEDIA

POST OLYMPIC MARKETING  1st September 2012

Since the podium finish at the summer Olympics, the members of Canada's National Senior Women's soccer squad have been busy. They may have been taking a rest from soccer on the field, but they have been busy off the field, making appearances and speaking at soccer events. Rhian's schedule gives a glimpse of the widespread marketing of soccer that the bronze medalists are taking on.

Having made the mad dash down to Wembley stadium from Coventry after the awards presentation, the squad met that evening with Brian Williams for a team interview. If you have seen the videotape then you will know how tired the players were; many could scarcely keep their eyes open. They slept that evening at the athletes village.

Then came the closing ceremony and after that on the 13th August, Rhian elected not to return with the team to Canada but to spend a few days visiting family in South Wales. This was the first of the events as the nursing home where her grandfather lives held a reception for her on 14th August. The the local church held a reception for her on the next day.

By 17th August, Rhian was back in London in time to run a coaching session at London Fields for a local girls team which is coached by a Canadian. On the 20th Rhian left to fly back to Canada.

The morning of 21st August, Rhian gave a talk at the International Civil Aviation Organization, where her brother works,  in downtown Montreal. This was followed in the evening by visits to the Lakeshore Soccer Club's Under 8 team and then two U14 teams, two U16 teams, and two U17 teams at a local soccer field.

On 23rd August, Rhian was honored, with other London Olympians,   with an invitation to an Alouettes game and a presentation. Then on
24th August she was interviewed on a Montreal radio station from 1030 to noon. That evening, she was invited to the Delhi to Dublin concert at Parc Jarry in Montreal.

On 25th August, Rhian spoke to soccer teams in Ile Perrot in Montreal's West Island area and then was invited to attend a presentation at the Montreal Impact game in the evening.

26th August, she had the pleasure of making a brief visit to Dwayne DeRosario's soccer  camp for an hour before visiting Pointe Claire Soccer Club's Under 8 to Under 18 teams. The evening was spent at a BBQ held by a Quebec Soccer official.

28th August began with a Montreal Gazette photo shoot in the garden and then some babysitting!

From Wednesday 29th to 31st August, Rhian joined a group of facilitators working for her father's leadership training company in the Eastern townships at la Jouvence. She helped run programs ad presented to 36 young women from ECS school about Sports Leadership. The next day, 1st September, she met with a group of Under 10 soccer players after a recreational ice hockey game with her brother's team. The skating came back easily!

4th September, Rhian returned to her old high school in Montreal, Villa Maria, to give the commencement speech to over seven hundred people. On the way to her next engagement, she stopped to vote in the Quebec elections, and received a spontaneous ovation. Then she set off to meet the Lakeshore Soccer Club's under 12 team in the evening.

5th September, Rhian leaves Montreal for Toronto and is invited to a Shoppers Drug Mart BBQ and will then meet two Mississauga girls'  teams. She hopes to fit in a visit to the physiotherapist during the day. Rhian is also looking for time to visit Umbro while she is in town.

6th September, as many of the team as possible will attend a dinner in support of raising funds for breast cancer research in the evening, followed by a lunch with the group Because I am a Girl. The team has planned a breakfast with CanFund the next morning.

That evening, family and friends will join the team to be recognized at the National Men's team match against Panama at BMO in the evening.
 

As Rhian explains, there has not been too much time for working out, but she has managed a few long runs. But, the events are coming to an end and the real world is returning. On 13th-16th September Rhian will be recognized at her Alma Mater the University of Tennessee in  Knoxville, and then she leaves for a 4 months contract to play soccer again for LSK in Norway.

The recognition has been wonderful, but the bills have to be paid.