Northern Ont. reaction to Canada's Olympic controversy

With soccer growing in popularity in Sudbury, some with experience in the sport are with confusion and disappointment to the recent news out of the Olympics.

It was announced Wednesday that two staff on Canada's Women's Soccer Team would be sent home after being caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand's team on two occasions.

Amanda Schweinbenz is an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Laurentian University who has expertise is in the Olympics, Olympic history, sports and gender, and coaching.

Upon hearing the news, she said she had a lot of questions.

"I understand the desire to gain an advantage because the Olympics are enormous. There's a lot of money that's in stake here, in the funding through on the podium," Schweinbenz said.

"So I understand the desire to have an advantage. The desire to use a drone, which is not subtle and is easily observable, seems odd to me. So those are more my thoughts are more of questions of like, really? Why?"

Schweinbenz said that she believes, at this point, members of the team will be inundated with messages on social media, which could be distracting.

"I think that would have been a bit overwhelming for people, especially if this is their first Games or this is their first experience in this in this type of level," she said.

"I think that it takes away from their ability to be able to focus."

Canada's players pose for photos on the pitch at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium ahead of the 2024 Summer Games, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. Canada is scheduled to play New Zealand on Thursday, July 25. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

But, ultimately, she said everyone on the team are professionals.

"They know who to talk to. So they'll be working with their sports psychologist. They'll be working with the team," she said.

"I think that they're … just going to be facing a lot of questions that are just unneeded at the time when they're supposed to be peaking for competition."

Evan Phillips, assistant coach of the Sudbury Cyclones and the Laurentian men's soccer program, said the news was disappointing.

"It's a little bit of a bad look on, you know, the team, the association and everyone involved in the program because I think the women's program's never been better," Phillips said.

"It's never had as much success. You know, they're coming off with a gold medal in the last Olympics and I don't think it's something that they really need or should want to be a part of."

Sends a bad message

In addition, he said the controversy sends a bad message to young, aspiring soccer players.

"It's your sport and your country, putting on your best foot forward as a role model," he said.

"We're telling players that Laurentian, the Cyclones in the community, especially the older players, how to be how to treat others, how to set the example for our youth."

While he said the team's experience will help them push through, he said there's no denying that it will be a distraction.

"The team, the players aren't responsible for this situation happening. But it it's going to be a hard thing to get over right there," Phillips said.

"There's more attention now on the women's program that I think there has been. This is not just a Canadian story. It's a pretty big universal one."

Schweinbenz said the Olympics are not immune to controversy, and she thinks most will get over it quickly.

"Soccer Canada's had far bigger scandals in the past five, six years than this," she said.

"I think viewers who really are committed to the athletes who want to see the athletes succeed will move on and know that it's not the athletes' responsibility. And this is not what happened because they weren't the ones who desired this."

Canada will play New Zealand on Thursday.