The women's soccer program in the territory is finally taking it's rightful place on stage, alongside the Yukon Selects men's soccer squad.

The idea of a women's Selects rep team has been tossed around for at least a couple of years, but starting in the New Year, that idea will become a reality. On Wednesday, about 30 women turned out for the first practice, and there are at least a dozen more who have expressed interest.

'There's a lot of young, up-and-coming players that could really contribute to a high level of competition, and there's enough older players with a high level of experience, so we feel we can put together a great team,' explained Sarah Hanson, one of the players who has been trying to put a team together for quite some time.

'When Peter (Mather, the organizer of the women's Selects) offered to put it together, we all jumped at the chance. A lot of us have kids, so we just don't have the time to do all the work ourselves. It's great that he's willing to do it.'

Wheaton Symington and Jenni Matchett are two of the high-school aged athletes on the team, both of whom are playing soccer outside of the territory as well.

Matchett said while you certainly don't get the experience living in the Yukon that you do down south, the passion and determination of local soccer players is right on par.

'There's a lot of talent here. The intensity and what they want to do here (with the Selects program) is the same across the board (as provincial teams). This is so exciting. This is the most amount of women I've seen player soccer together so far.

'Lots of them haven't played competitively in a while, but the girls like Sarah Hanson and Jodi Tuton, all of them were prime in their day. You don't really lose it. Two months of hardcore training and everyone will be right on track.'

If it all goes according to plan, the women's Selects will attend the national championships in October, where they will get a feel for their competition. Eventually, said Hanson, they're looking to streamline with the men's Selects, which means a lot of Outside tournaments during the year.

Beyond results on the scoresheet, putting together a competitive women's team should produce more interest in the sport from local athletes of all ages.

'Soccer will become a lot more serious in Whitehorse once people see that we're going somewhere with it,' said Symington.

Over the past couple years, the Yukon has already made huge strides as far as its soccer programs. Symington, Matchett and Jackie Harrison are all training outside the territory in soccer this year, which has to be a new precedent.

Symington and Harrison are attending St. Francis Xavier high school in Edmonton this semester, as part of their Grade 11 soccer program, while Matchett is playing for the U-18 Gold club in Victoria. Harrison is also training with Edmonton's Victoria soccer club the 2005 national champions.

'It's a lot better, I train a lot harder there,' said Symington of St. Francis. 'We play soccer everyday there. 'I only have two classes in the morning and then we play soccer the rest of the day.

'The coaching is really good there too. Neil Turnbull, one of the coaches, comes and does camps in the Yukon. That's how I heard about this program, and same with Jackie.'

Symington can't imagine her life without soccer, and hopes to play for a topnotch university team once she graduates.

Ever since she was a kid, she said, soccer is all she's wanted to do.

'Some people just have a passion for it. There are lots of people who are good at soccer, but they just don't have the drive to go that far.'

While she will be home for the last semester of this school year, if Symington decides to participate in the soccer program at St. Francis Xavier next fall, it will be for the full year. It would mean leaving behind her friends and graduating in Edmonton, but it would also provide a lot more exposure to university scouts.

It won't be an easy decision, she acknowledged, but she hopes to have her mind made up by this summer.

Even if she decides to head back to Alberta for her final year of high school, Symington will likely be a part of the Yukon Selects women's team. It's something she's very much looking forward to, as long as her teammates take it seriously.

'I just hope everyone takes it serious enough to train hard every week. I hope nobody's here just to see friends.'

The men's Selects are also ready to take things more seriously, after a strong showing at last year's club nationals in Calgary. The Selects made history in picking up a win and a tie at nationals. But while the team came back from the championship feeling pretty good about themselves, it also made them realize they can do a lot better, said Mather.

'It's time to start winning some big tournaments and some big games,' said Mather, calling the Selects' 5-1 loss to Quebec at nationals 'unacceptable'.

'If we want to be successful, we have to change our mindset. We have to be there to win.'

'It's time to step it up a bit,' Jake Hanson told the rest of the team during a meeting following the practice. 'After Calgary, I think we all started realizing that. This team is for real.'

The men's Selects will start official practices on Jan. 9, with sessions running once a week through the winter before jumping to three times a week in the summer.

The team has enlisted the help of John MacPhail for their training sessions, but the head coaching positions for both the men's and women's squads won't be decided until February.

While things are just getting started on the turf, plans are already well underway for a couple of tournaments in the spring and summer months, including a visit from the Grant MacEwan Griffins men's soccer team.

Four Yukoners played for the Griffins this past season, and are hoping to be back on the roster next year.

The Selects are also hoping to host a tournament featuring teams from Juneau and Fairbanks, and plan to travel to Prince George for a tournament in the summer.