It’s yet to be seen whether Gabrielle Carle, Vanessa Gilles, Marie Levasseur or Évelyne Viens will play at the Women’s World Cup, but Quebec is guaranteed to be represented by two central referees.
• Also read: Canadians qualified for the Women’s World Cup
Marie-Soleil Beaudoin and Myriam Marcotte, who grew up in the Quebec region, were selected from around 170 international candidates and 35 will be in the middle of the pitch in Australia and New Zealand from July 20th to August 20th.
“Marie-Soleil is my mentor,” says Marcotte, 30, ten years younger than her colleague. The beauty of Canada is that you don’t have to look far to find female role models. There’s Carol Anne [Chénard], who has retired but will be a video referee at the World Cup. She is a great master whose development I have watched for a long time. »
Marcotte does not want to ignore the name of Sonia Denoncourt, who became the first female referee to be accredited by the International Football Association (FIFA) in 1994.
“It is a personal pride to be selected, but also a pride to represent our province, our country and our fellow referees,” Beaudoin humbly underlined during a telephone interview with Le Journal.
There is a little more nervousness in Marcotte’s voice as it will be her first World Senior Championship.
“It’s really a mix of excitement and stress, but I’m grateful to have this opportunity,” she said.
The finale in sight
Just like the players, the referees want to reach the final and performance on the pitch takes precedence.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” says Marcotte, who will also be the fourth official at the World Cup. What FIFA wants is to have the best officials at the best games. […] We have to arrive in the best conditions, in the training camp, in the games before the cup and if our first cup game doesn’t go well, it might unfortunately be our only one. you have to give everything »
Nothing acquired
Even if it will be a second World Cup, nothing can be taken for granted for Beaudoin. In 2019, his trio took part in four duels in France, including a round of 16 match between the host country and Brazil and a semi-final between Sweden and the Netherlands.
“There are many factors that will influence World Cup appearances,” she explains. For example if there are CONCACAF teams [Confédération de football d’Amérique du Nord, d’Amérique centrale et des Caraïbes] that go far, CONCACAF referees have fewer opportunities to maintain neutrality. »
A little courage
That’s why the North Vancouver native wants to focus on her personal goals instead.
“I’m thinking more about what I want to achieve on the pitch: to be in a good position to make critical decisions, to have the courage to be in the 90. When we get that, the subpoenas will come. And if we don’t have the finale for a reason X, Y, Z, that’s no worse,” she puts it into perspective intelligently.
Despite her already wealth of experience and the fact that she knows what to expect, Beaudoin still wants to work on her physical abilities. The professor in the physiology department at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia wants to improve her speed to be more explosive “to be able to have the right angle to see the mistake”.
psychological help
She also had recourse to a mental coach, like any Olympic athlete.
“There’s a lot of pressure to referee a World Cup, agrees Beaudoin. There are millions of people watching, there are dozens of cameras. Everyone will be able to see the mistakes we make on the pitch. So you have to prepare yourself to be in the present moment. If you make a mistake on the field, you need to be able to keep going instead of brooding. It can mean the difference between a good referee and a very good referee. »
And of course making the difference in whether an official is selected for the finals or not.
From ordinary player to extraordinary official
Marie-Soleil Beaudoin had no great ambitions when she started refereeing at the age of 20, “lately”, as she likes to say. Although she was diligent, she was entitled to a little happiness.
“Being a referee was a natural way to stay in a sport I loved, even though I wasn’t a very good player,” she readily admits. It’s really a combination of circumstances. The right people saw me at the right time and recommended me for higher matches. »
Photo provided by Marie-Soleil Beaudoin, CONCACAF
Marie-Soleil Beaudoin addresses players at a World Cup qualifier in Monterrey, Mexico last July.
“It was with small steps like this that I won my first national championship,” Beaudoin continues. That’s when I got hooked realizing that refereeing can be more than just a weekend activity or summer evenings to make a little money. It was there that I learned to love the challenge that a football match can mean for a referee. Arbitration is never boring. The search for the next challenge led me to climb the next rungs. »
A stepping stone
Myriam Marcotte also climbed the ranks quickly after receiving her first whistle at age 15 to take advantage of an outdoor job. The 30-year-old from Lévis, who between the ages of 5 and 20 often played football with elite teams, is about to win her first senior women’s World Cup.
“What was a stepping stone in my career was qualifying for the Olympics in January and February 2020. That’s where I really got my foot in the door of the process. »
Among the pros
Marcotte then found himself in the center of the field surrounded by professional Canadian Premier League (CPL) players like Beaudoin.
“It’s the best level in Canada after MLS,” says Marcotte. It really is matches that help me in my preparation. Most recently, the U17 World Cup in India was a great experience. »
There’s no harm in being able to keep up with men. And managing a game is also important.
“On a male level sometimes there is more emotion, frustration. For women, it’s maybe a little less intense after a foul. But I’ve already refereed the American team and it’s so fast, the players are physically strong. There is not much difference between this level and the CPL,” assures Marcotte.
“It’s an advantage to referee in this league,” adds Beaudoin. In 2019 the CPL started and I only had a pro game or two before going to my first world championship. It’s very different this time because I was able to officiate for the pros all last season and it will be the same this season. »
You are planning your pregnancy
Myriam Marcotte and Marie-Soleil Beaudoin have several things in common, one of which is that they planned their pregnancy according to the World Cup.
“The pandemic has greatly slowed down our preparation, which began towards the end of 2020. A lot didn’t happen, everything was delayed and postponed a bit. But on the one hand it was positive. I gave birth to my baby girl Claire in June 2021,” says Marcotte.
She had already postponed the “Baby” project after being invited to an event.
Beaudoin also chose the forced break from COVID-19 to have a second boy.
“When planning the pregnancy, I clearly had the World Cup in mind. I knew if I wanted to be in the cup in 2023, I had to have a good 2022 season, so I had to be pregnant beforehand,” says the 40-year-old woman, who did the same for her eldest.
Mandatory pass to collect points for the World Cup in France, Beaudoin had taken part in the U17 World Cup in Uruguay a year earlier. Her son was 7 months old at the time. Not easy for a new mother’s heart.
“I never in my life would have thought of giving birth and refereeing a World Cup final in the same year! »
It could have been the end
This is therefore an additional challenge that officials have to face.
“There’s also a mental challenge because I didn’t know how the pregnancy was going to go, how I was going to come back after it [l’accouchement]. I had to be aware of that [ma carrière d’officielle] could stop there. There is no magical thinking. There can be consequences,” says Marcotte.
But seeing that Beaudoin and others before her had managed to return to top-flight action, Marcotte was heartened. It has to be said that the two women feel spoiled to have the support of their loved ones.
“The support from my department head at Dalhousie University is also incredible, thank you Beaudoin. When I go to seminars, colleagues teach my classes and when I come back, I teach for them. »
quit his job
As for her, Marcotte has chosen to devote herself entirely to her preparation. She gave up her job as referee coordinator at the Lanaudière regional football association in December.
“I used to have to constantly juggle my availability and that of my spouse to know when to exercise or when to go. It was complicated. »
“I train six days a week, one workout a day, sometimes two. It’s very demanding. »
Not far from an athlete’s pace.