While her time as a varsity athlete is over, former Sea-Hawk Abby Evans is sharing her passion for sport and team spirit with the next generation of soccer stars.
The 22-year-old from St. John’s graduated with a nursing degree last spring.
Now, she’s an assistant coach for Team N.L.’s women’s soccer team for the upcoming Canada Games while also working part-time at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital in St. John’s.
“Soccer’s given me so many experiences and friendships,” Ms. Evans said. “I’ve learned a lot about myself through sport, and through soccer especially, so I want to help players get those same experiences.”
Ms. Evans played for the Sea-Hawks throughout her undergraduate degree, twice being named an Academic All-Canadian for excellence in both academics and athletics.
“It’s the moments with my teammates that I really remember and cherish the most.”
Her time as a varsity athlete culminated in back-to-back semi-final appearances at the Atlantic University Sport championships.
Her highest achievements in sport came with her club team, Holy Cross FC, which was the first women’s team from Newfoundland and Labrador to win the national Jubilee Trophy in 2023.
The squad then became the first team in the country to win the trophy two years in a row with a follow-up victory in 2024.
But it’s the off-field experiences that matter more over medals and scoring, Ms. Evans says.
It’s a message she emphasizes to the young players she’s coaching now.
“I love coaching the technical and tactical aspects of the game, but I’m always more focused on experience. It’s the moments with my teammates that I really remember and cherish the most. The experience that sport itself can give is so valuable and that’s what matters most.”
Passion for coaching
Ms. Evans began coaching at the age of 16 when she aged out of the provincial youth program.
“I wasn’t ready to give it up. I still had to be involved,” she said.
She reached out to Dragan Mirkovic, then technical director at the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association, who became a mentor.
“We had a lot of conversations about soccer and life, and I really found a passion for coaching,” she said of the experience.
She started with the high-performance program at the Newfoundland and Labrador Whitecaps FC Academy Centre before moving to the provincial program and then to club teams.
Along the way, she earned a variety of coaching credentials, including the National Coaching Certification Program and Canada Soccer C Diploma. She dreams of one day coaching at the university level or with national youth teams.
She gives credit to the coaches she’s worked with to date, including Phil Molloy, head coach, and Adam Mooi, technical director, on the Canada Games squad, for “helping to shape the coach I am today.”
Ms. Evans hopes to eventually blend her nursing and coaching careers, but for now, is focused on the Canada Games and helping her players have a “great experience.”
“There’s going to be a lot of soccer. It’s going to be high demand, physically and mentally. I think they’ll learn a lot about themselves and it’ll be a good growth moment for them,” she said. “Any time you represent your province, it’s full of pride and joy, but I think being at home, those emotions will be elevated. Hopefully, the whole experience is something they can look back on in years to come. It’ll be one to remember.”
The 2025 Canada Games are being held Aug. 8-25 in St. John’s.
The women’s soccer competition runs in Week 2 from Aug. 19-24 with Team N.L. competing in Group D of the round robin with Alberta and Saskatchewan.
