VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that Emma Humphries has been named director of women’s football development.
Humphries will lead the vision for the club supporting the advancement of women’s players and coaches from the national Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System, including partner associations and clubs across the country. This includes providing technical leadership to the Whitecaps FC Girls Regional Excel Super Centre (REX) program in partnership with BC Soccer. Humphries will also support Whitecaps FC BMO Girls Academy programs in addition to providing coaching clinics and educational seminars.
“It’s very exciting to return to Whitecaps FC and play such an important role in driving player and coach development,” said Humphries. “I am proud to work with a professional club that has a clear focus on providing the best opportunities for aspiring players and women in their coaching careers.”
On the coaching development side, Humphries will lead a mentorship program for women coaching in the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy Centre network across the country. On the player side, Humphries will have a key role identifying and leading the development of selected players on the pathway to REX Super Centre programs. Among the players that Humphries has worked with are Olympic gold medalists Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, and Jayde Riviere.
“Our club prides itself on developing the best players and coaches possible, and we have seen that with both women and men progressing to the highest levels,” added Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director and chief executive officer. “Emma’s experiences both on an off the field, and in different countries, provides us with the expertise and vision to continue to be a leader across the country.”
A UEFA A Licence coach, Humphries spent the last two years as assistant first team coach with Liverpool FC of the FA Women’s Super League in England. She rejoins the club after having spent five years with Whitecaps FC as girls director and head coach from 2014 to 2018. Humphries worked in her native New Zealand as the women’s national development manager and in her playing days represented her country at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and also at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Collegiately, Humphries played at California State Fullerton and later Coastal Carolina in NCAA Division I.
For more information on the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite REX program in partnership with BC Soccer and the Whitecaps FC BMO Girls Academy, please visit whitecapsfc.com/academy/girlseliterex.
