The Impact Soccer In Peterborough Has Had On One Woman's Life & What A Pro Team Coming Here Would Mean To Her

Beth McClelland heard about a group trying to bring a pro soccer team to Peterborough, Electric City FC, and submitted this article about the impact soccer has had on her life and its potential here to evolve…

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I used to run as a means of escape. I would run away from anxiety, stress, and depression.

If the feelings persisted, I would just sprint harder and faster. I would run until my stomach felt queasy and my lungs burned. In those moments, running felt like both a chore and a remedy from my poor mental health.

I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember and officiating as a referee since age 12. When I’m on the field, I don’t really think about running.

October 2019: Beth McClelland assistant refereeing at the men's Ontario College Athletic Association Provincial Championships at Fleming College. (Photo by Peterborough area District Referee Coordinator, Michael Smith.)

Movement flows naturally and I feel at home. Over time, soccer, and in particular refereeing has taught me the power of running towards something instead of running away.

It may sound cheesy but I really think the Electric City FC initiative in Peterborough brings with it the capacity for other soccer fans, players, coaches and match officials to discover this same power within.

2019 League1 Women's Final, Beth (at far right) was an assistant referee.

In 2017, I was nominated by the Peterborough District Soccer Referee Coordinator, Michael Smith, to officiate in the North American Indigenous Games.

I had no idea that tournament would eventually spur opportunities to referee across Ontario, in League1, and ultimately to travel to Edmonton last November to referee in the women’s National College Athletic Association Soccer Championships.

As a female from a small city, it feels pretty amazing to have represented Ontario Soccer at a number of these events.

But none of this happened overnight.

Just like athletes, match officials train, participate in group instruction, get feedback from assessors and mentors, and watch clips to improve their skills. Without a gentle push from the Peterborough soccer community, I don’t know I would have ever had the confidence to discover my officiating goals and run towards them instead of running away.

2019 National College Athletic Association Championships: Beth (in jacket) was fourth official in the gold medal match.

People joke that there’s “something in the water” in Peterborough, but when it comes to soccer and the sense of community, I really believe it’s true.

In Peterborough, I’ve played pickup soccer games with complete strangers who have eventually become close friends. I’ve grown up with a community of referees, coaches and players who feel like a second family. I’ve even lived with teammates from an indoor league. There’s an energy behind soccer in Peterborough that feels exciting and unique.

I don’t look down on soccer in Peterborough. This city is small but mighty. With two college and university teams, highly skilled OWSL and OSL teams and a commitment to share a passion for soccer with youth at the grassroots level, it’s safe to say that Peterborough’s got game.

U-17 boys competitive soccer exhibition tournament at Trent U April 2019: Beth (middle) with her assistant referees Liam Williston and James Montague. (Photo by Peterborough area District Referee Coordinator, Michael Smith.)

As a match official, my opinion on the field will always be neutral, but as a fan who’s found my voice through the game, I would love to see Peterborough’s potential unleashed. You don’t have to know me well or for long to hear about my love for this city. In fact, it’s commonly joked about among my referee friends from outside of the city.

I relocated to Ottawa with my partner in February, but no matter where I live, I’ll always know my passion for soccer and the fire for officiating that has become part of who I am was sparked in the Electric City.

I look on with excitement for what will become of Electric City FC.

—guest post by Beth McClelland

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Read What Clara Hughes' Talk On Mental Health In Peterborough Inspired One Woman To Do

Clara Hughes made a stop in Peterborough Saturday for Clara's Big Ride to raise awareness about mental health and erasing the stigma associated with it. Among those in attendance for her empowering speech at Fleming College Saturday night was Peterborough's Beth McClelland. Clara's speech inspired Beth to go home and write this blog entry below. Have a read, and see Clara's response to Beth via Twitter at the end of this post...

"I just got home from hearing Clara Hughes speak in my hometown and all I can say is “wow”.

For over four years now I have been learning to live with mental illness and for over four years, I have kept it a secret from my parents…until tonight. 

I come from a very loving family, with parents that have amazing intentions and while we’ve had our ups and downs as many families do I know we love each other.

So why didn’t I tell them? What if they treated me differently? What if they no longer thought I could handle myself? - I don’t want to be on suicide watch or self-injury watch when I’m doing just fine! What if they judged me? What if they thought I was overreacting?…For whatever reason this cycle of “what ifs” yielded no positive outcomes.

I’m trying to wrack my brain for the defining moment that encouraged me to finally break the ice and tell them, but I think I’ve been blessed with many defining moments, especially over the past few months. A month ago my friend shared a story with me about overcoming a near suicide attempt, a few weeks ago a counsellor I’ve been seeing for nearly four years told me he’s proud of my growth, just yesterday a friend listened non-judgmentally to my story and told me I am special to the world and tonight being filled with the passion and energy Clara spoke with was the icing on the cake. These moments, each one, built a foundation of courage inside of me.

I didn’t tell my parents everything, I’m not ready yet and that’s okay, but I did tell them I am on medication and why. I told them I want to eventually switch family doctors, because while they adore ours, I feel she judges me, and I told them I was sorry that in four years I’d never made these admissions. 

They didn’t judge me. My parents said it’s okay that I take medication to stabilize my moods. My parents said they’d help me find a new family doctor if that’s what I want. They didn’t ask many questions and maybe they minimized the situation a bit, but I think they know there’s a lot more to the story and that I’ll tell it when I’m ready. 

Four years of fear, four years of hiding and in about four minutes I let almost all of it go. And while there’s still more to share with them, I can’t even begin to express how GOOD letting go felt.

Those moments I mentioned earlier, they built my foundation of courage - but to have a liveable home, you need more than just a foundation. So PLEASE keep talking, because you might just be helping me and those around you build their house of courage, and we appreciate it…the conversation I was able to have tonight is a perfect example of how *you* using your voice can encourage *me* to use mine.

Clara put it so well in saying this isn’t her big ride, or Bell Let’s Talk’s big ride, or Peterborough’s big ride - it’s Canada’s. We all have a stake in this conversation. - Thanks Clara"

@Ptbo_Canada @bee_mcclelland This makes this whole ride a success. This alone. I am completely blown away, inspired and grateful.

— Clara Hughes (@ClaraHughes_) March 25, 2014

[blog entry reprinted with permission via Beth Anne McClelland's blog Cutting Free]

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How To Land A Summer Job In Peterborough

Fleming student Victoria Forbes teaches dance lessons and runs a photography business to make summer earningsFor the hundreds of students who call Peterborough home, the daunting task of searching for a summer job often feels like an uphill battle. However, students losing hope shouldn’t give up because when armed with a little bit of creativity, knowledge of local resources, and a lot of effort, it becomes possible to win this battle and successfully gain a job.

What’s impressive about Peterborough is the large number of resources that exist to help students living in the city. Websites such as Employment Planning and Counselling and Peterborough Careers list a broad range of positions, many of which are temporary student jobs.

Yet with so many students living in the city, sometimes it takes more than just this knowledge to land an interview. Over the course of my own job search, I discovered that social media is a great tool for connecting locally and receiving leads on jobs. I sent out over ten tweets in which I tagged locals who specialize in the area I was looking for work (Communications), and I couldn’t be happier with the number of responses I received. No one had jobs available with their organizations, but many tweeters went out of their way to direct me to others companies and job postings that I may find helpful. Social media also helped me learn that tourism is extremely important to Peterborough and therefore businesses that benefit from tourism are extremely likely to hire seasonal help.

Another way I’ve learned to make local connections is through volunteer opportunities. I think many students (myself included!) expect to see job postings that are an exact match to their interests, skills, and education—oh how rare that is! While some people aren’t picky about summer opportunities, those that are hoping to eventually find work in their field should highly consider volunteering for organizations that interest them.

The beautiful thing about smaller cities like Peterborough is they have a great community feel, and local professionals are often more than happy to help a keen student looking for opportunities to grow. I’ve had many friends tell me that they’ve called and emailed people they would like to work for, and that as long as you demonstrate you’re passionate and carry yourself with courtesy and respect, you can gain some great advice and unpaid experience from these organizations.

Of course the ultimate goal is to gain employment with the organization, and maybe that will come the following summer, upon graduation, or maybe never. But the references, networking skills, and experience that can be gained through volunteering are greatly rewarding.

Occasionally, individuals try all the above strategies and are still stuck. It’s at this point that some students take matters into their own hands and use their education and passions to create their own job. This is what I’ve done for the past three summers. Having received a certificate in music from Humber College, I realized I’d be hard-pressed to find a summer job relative to my field in Peterborough, so I started teaching saxophone and piano lessons. While this has only been a side job for me, I’ve spoken to several other students over the years who rely on their entrepreneurial skills to make all of their summer earnings. Examples range from photography businesses to dance and music lessons.

The key takeaway is that living in a smaller city is not always a bad thing when it comes to the summer job hunt. Being able to get your name out relatively easily and talk to a variety of resources on a regular basis is a unique opportunity that Peterborough students should be proud to say they have.

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Beth McClelland is a public relations student and music certificate graduate of Humber College in Toronto. She grew up in Peterborough and enjoys spending summers here with her family. Beth is passionate about innovations in social media, music performance and marketing, and community service opportunities.

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