2024-25 marked the first year that Nanaimo United FC has entered an O30 women’s team into LIWSA and it was no small feat to get it off the ground. Now heading into its third season in O30A, the team has massive interest and has built a very strong sense of community. Emily van Waes is a huge part of the team’s success the past two seasons, working tirelessly to recruit players and to keep the team engaged and positive during the tough parts of the season.
Emily came to NUFC from a local club in the Mid Island Women’s Soccer League, looking for a new challenge and a place to build community. She recruited players who she knew would be successful at this level from MIWSL and attended local community soccer programs, such as 7-aside, 5-aside, and futsal, and met women in the O30s age bracket to talk about the NUFC O30 team. She recruited many players to the team, and developed a pipeline of players ages 28-29 who would be interested in playing in future seasons.
In the early days as the team found its groove Emily made sure that players stayed positive and engaged, and helped to build an excellent team culture. Now approaching its third season the team has two Masters-B Provincial silver medals under their belt, and more importantly has become a tight-knit community due to it’s success, culture, and space for camaraderie. Emily is the team’s captain and is an excellent leader and a steward of good sportsmanship. In 2025-26 she was voted the team’s MVP, a well-deserved accomplishment that highlights her contributions on the field as well.
