In this episode, host Eva Hartling sits down with Annie Larouche, President of Montreal's new women's soccer club in the inaugural season of the Northern Super League (NSL). With a career spanning close to three decades in professional sports, Annie is one of the rare women to have held leadership roles in multiple major franchises in Quebec, including the Alouettes and the Alliance de Montréal. Now, she's helping launch a new era for women's soccer in Canada.

From her early days as a cheerleader to becoming a respected executive and advocate for equity in sport, Annie's journey is a powerful example of building leadership from the ground up. Since accepting the role with the NSL franchise in 2024, she's been focused on shaping a team—and a culture—that reflects the needs and ambitions of today's women athletes.

In our conversation, Annie opens up about the lack of role models when she started out, the misconceptions she had to overcome, and the emotional weight of building something that will outlast her own career. She shares what it means to design a team specifically for women, how fans are part of the movement, and why it was important to build the first stadium dedicated to a women's pro team in Canada.

Whether you're in the stands or behind the scenes, Annie's story is a testament to vision, perseverance, and the power of doing things differently.

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