Chelsea Buckland is a 21-year-old striker from North Delta, B.C., who plays for Oregon State University and is a rising star for the Canadian women's national team. In an interview with Canadian Soccer News, she talks about being named to the squad for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament, playing under John Herdman, what it's like to play alongside idol Christine Sinclair and her long-term ambitions in the sport of soccer.
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Last month, you got the call for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers, which will be your first major tournament representing Canada. How did you feel when you got that call?
I was a bit nervous at first because after camp we got to go home. It was a little nerve-wracking not knowing if you were going to make it or not. But I was absolutely shocked. ... I was so overwhelmed with being able to get this opportunity to go out and be rostered -- and, if not play, then be part of the program, to represent my country. It was just unbelievable.
All these years I worked my way up, tried to be the best I can ... and when this opportunity came and I finally got into camp, I just tried so hard. When I got the email I was just so pumped and excited to say, "look, I'm going home -- coincidentally, I'm going home (to B.C., for the Olympic qualifying tournament) -- and I'm ready to play for my country", and absolutely honoured and proud to be looking at that email and saying I'm the last in the 20-girl unit playing in one of the biggest tournaments ever. Definitely exciting, definitely emotional when you got that.
You haven't represented Canadian youth teams in the past; you really came into the Canadian setup in 2011, first under Carolina Morace and now under John Herdman. How does it feel getting the chance to do out there and wear the Canadian jersey and represent your country in international play?
It's absolutely amazing. I've had these dreams since I was a kid. I've looked up to Christine Sinclair and Karina LeBlanc and those types of players for years. In my youth days I trained with the Whitecaps and things like that, but being able to get this opportunity is unbelievable. It's so surreal that I'm actually going to be wearing a jersey, playing in front of my home town and my nation and representing Canada. It's absolutely amazing. I couldn't be any more proud of myself and the fact that I can play in front of my country and my fans. … I'm just so honoured and so grateful for having this opportunity to try and make a statement for years down the road.
The last big women's tournament held in Canada was the 2002 U-19 championship, held on the west coast, where Sinclair burst onto the scene. Did you get a chance to go to any of those games?
I was pretty young, I think I would have been 12. I think our youth team might have got something together. I'm pretty sure we went to… if it wasn't a practice, it would have been, you know when they bring fans together or whatnot. I don't think I was ever actually there, but we watched them on TV. Just being able to see it, I was definitely there. You had youth teams that got together and were excited about it.
Even if you didn't see the games live, you've obviously been aware of Christine for a long time, and now you get the chance to play alongside her. What's that like?
It's crazy. It all started back when I got called into camp in January with Carolina. It was actually nerve-wracking. I was definitely intimidated because for so many years growing up in high school these kids -- well, these women, now -- were my type of idols. Just being able to get this call-up, and them saying "hey, do you want to come to the first team?" -- because obviously I was too old for the U20s -- that was absolutely shocking.
Then being able to get into camp and meet these players and become these players' teammate and friend on and off the field, it was surreal. I was definitely nervous about it. I didn't want to mess up. As the days went on and you bonded on and off the field, I felt more and more comfortable because I started to realize I belong here, and I worked hard to get here, and I can see potential down the road once I get experience playing with these top-level players.
To think, being able to wear a jersey and represent my country with one of the best -- if not the best forward in the world, it's absolutely amazing. I'm so proud and honoured to stand beside Christine Sinclair. Now that I'm older and getting more experience, it's absolutely amazing.
The women's national team gives the impression of being a very tight-knit group. How have you found yourself fitting in with the team as a newcomer?
At first obviously it's kind of rocky just because I'm the new girl. It's like any other team, you have to go in there and earn your respect. Going into the program as a younger player, some players are seven, eight, nine, 10 years older than me, and that hierarchy on the team with age groups doesn't really affect the team. I think that's why the team is so well-bonded, because we have those leadership type players, older players, younger players. Some of them are pretty much my big sisters.
When you're there in that environment that's professional and mature, you definitely have to get in there and earn respect with little things on and off the field. I think, as time went on, we'd been overseas for so long (at camp in Italy prior to the 2011 Women's World Cup), there's definitely a core of us that have been very good friends. Being able to be accepted in this program, I need to show them that I'm capable of being thee and proving to them that I can compete with them as well. I think that's another line about respect and I think it's gone a long way.
You scored your first international goal for Canada against Sweden during a friendly in November. How did that feel?
It didn't really hit me till afterwards. In the moment, you're in a competitive soccer environment, and you're pumped up. It just felt awesome to be able to come in as a sub, 20-25 minutes in the game, I got in there -- John (Herdman) obviously gives us our roles and what we'll be doing out there -- I just tried to go in there and make an impact.
I literally just wanted to come in there and show him I can compete at this level. If that meant score a goal, I might score a goal -- if not, it meant defending well, it meant doing this right, that right. Coincidentally we started off on the attack and I ended up getting a goal. I was just so happy. Afterwards, it kinda hit me. Being able to say this was my first international goal, it was just surreal.
I really am trying to make a statement. I want to show these ladies that I can be out there and compete with these players at this level. You have to start somewhere and this is my start, I guess.
It was your first goal for Canada but you're no stranger to the net. You scored 11 goals for Oregon State University in 2011, to lead the team. How has your time at OSU been?
It's been awesome, probably one of the best experiences I could take out of my life. It was one of the best decisions I made to go away to school. ... Going in my freshman year, doing well, leading goal scorer the last few years, PAC-10 honours all three years. It was just something I was proud to do. I went down to Oregon State, I met my classmates and we all were competitors. We've all had one mindset, we want to build a program and we want to compete in the best conferences, if not the best conference in the nation, and we want to go down there and make a difference.
Going down there it was a great school, great conference, but it wasn't so good on the soccer side. I just wanted to make a statement and build a program that will build up and make a name for Oregon State. I think my class had a lot to do with it, our senior class was unbelievable. Just being part of something, to build a program and be a part of change, it's just something that I can take away and be proud of.
Going down there on my ride there were ups and downs. My freshman year, I did well but I wasn't at the top notch. If you look at the stats, I only started one game. But I came into the game and I made a difference. There's some reasons why. What happens is I go in there, I lose weight, get into shape, I'm ready to go. Then boom. Starting and playing all 90 minutes and making a difference the last two years. It's been crazy how school has totally taught these basic fundamentals of being a professional athlete at that college level, going and learning how to develop the mental maturity on the soccer side of things, but also the physical exertions you put your body through in college training.
It's how we grow as a player and it has helped me become a better professional athlete that I think, one day, I can be. Being able to get these opportunities after doing so well in school, at the international level, it's just unreal. It's that level of competition, that level of maturity, being with these top-notch players, these experienced players, it's helping me grow more and more. That being said, I am only 22 in January, so I'm definitely young and I've got a long way to go, which is great.
So you have one year left at Oregon State?
Yeah, this upcoming fall, 2012, is going to be my last senior year.
What are your soccer aspirations after college?
I just want to play. I want to see if there's a possibility of entering into the draft, going and playing in WPS. I want to network and try and see if I can play overseas. But I definitely want to go pro, I definitely want to continue my soccer career. There's a lot to come. I want to get out there and prove to people, I can be the next… y'know…
Say it: You want to be the next Christine Sinclair.
She's been a motivator my whole life. She's absolutely phenomenal. We make jokes at practice about how freakin' good she is, and it motivates me to want to be that next player. I'm just working my way up. I don't think anyone will ever be her, since she's absolutely great, but I do want to be up there.
Looking ahead, Canada's hosting the Women's World Cup in 2015. Is the prospect of potentially playing for Canada on home soil a big motivator for you?
Definitely. That's the one thing I'm looking at right now. That's the highest goal I could reach. Obviously I'm honoured to do this, the qualifiers, qualifying for the Olympics, that's great. I'm young and I'm excited. But just seeing, through these small experiences, these small steps that I can take to get to where I want to be… in 2015, I'll be 25-26 years old. That's prime. And that's been one of my goals, to go to a World Cup and do that stuff.
I got to do it now, I was there, but I want to fulfill it 110%. (Buckland was at camp prior to WWC 2011, but didn't make final roster for the tournament). I don't just want to go there and be a sub. Obviously I'm grateful to have those opportunities to go in. I don't know how it's going to turn out in the Olympic qualifiers. I might not even play a minute. You never know, right? I'm just grateful to be there and proud of training and playing for Canada.
But being on home soil, 2015? It's just a dream of mine, and I've got four years to get after it. I'm just hoping at that point in time I'll be peaking and able to come home and represent my country on home soil. It's definitely one of my biggest motivators, for sure.
Besides Christine, do you have any other role models in the game?
Karina LeBlanc, she is one of the most inspirational women I've ever met in my life. She has gone through ups and downs and hurdles, done the Olympics a couple of times, done the World Cup a couple of times. She is just a veteran beyond a veteran. Back in the day she recruited me to go and play at Rutgers. I think Karina's one of the most inspirational people I know on and off the field, she is someone I can go to and someone I can talk to, and she's definitely been an idol. What the keepers do is a little intense.
I have a few other ones, they're not really role models, they're just players I look up to that I think are absolutely amazing. Players like Messi, those type of players, I like to watch them just because they're great. I am a bit of a soccer nerd, so I do watch soccer a lot. I just like watching certain types of players, just kind of letting me visualize, see what I can and cannot do on the field.
Canadian fans haven't seen much of you play. So how would you describe your game? What do you bring to the field of play?
I'm a forward, an attacking-type player. My main drive to be out there is to go to goal, attack, I'm definitely an attacking-mindset type of player. Former coaches of mine have always talked to me about being lazy and not wanting to defend. But I think I like to get at players, I like to get into the attacking area and make something of it, create goal-scoring opportunities for myself or my teammates. The mindset, the understanding of the back four of the opponent is something that I'm really smart at.
I'm very smart at the game. … Being able to recognize certain things, being able to make flicks on, combining with my teammates up top, creating opportunities for everyone else -- just really going at goal. I sacrifice my body to get in front of the keeper and get in there. Even in college, I was getting hit by huge centrebacks at UCLA and USC. I'm strong and hold the ball up really well. So getting out there, battling, competing and holding off stronger players, I think, is one of my strengths, and being able to keep the ball for us and look to get forward.
You got a look with the Canadian team under Morace but you've had your greatest impact under Herdman. What are your thoughts on him as a coach and what he brings to the team?
I think he's the best thing that's ever happened to Canada. He's great. He is awesome. He knows his stuff. If you have a question about something he has a PowerPoint for it, or a slide. He is so smart at the game. He analyzes every little detail in order to break down the opponent, and to structure a program that has developed through technique or through physical ability or the mental knowledge of soccer.
Him and his staff, it's unreal. They are so smart at the game and they have the resources that allow us to study the game and become smarter as players. He's a coach that isn't going to intimidate you or put you down, or toot your horn either. He's a coach that's going to go in and say, "look, here's a situation, I'm gonna come at you and I'm going to correct you." I think him being out there on the field is a positive. Even if something negative happens, he's right in there.
He's very inspirational and he motivates all of us to want to go out and be better and represent our provinces individually and our country as a whole. He's so passionate about the game, he wants the best for us.
Off the field, what should Canadian fans know about Chelsea Buckland?
Oh gee, I don't know. … I'm literally a soccer nerd. I don't do anything but play soccer. Nothing unique, I don't juggle, I don't have the random hobbies. I'm literally a soccer nerd. It's so funny.
So as a soccer nerd, then, are there any obscure leagues that you like to follow?
No… Champions League, English Premier League, I like those. I watch a lot of film on the players and the teams. If you're looking for what I do off the field, I'm a fun type of person. I like to communicate, I like to talk. I snowboard when I can. (Late December) was the first time I went snowboarding in the last few years since I've been so busy. I'm an outgoing person and I love to coach and get involved in youth programs.
Long term goal down the road, developing youth programs that will promote women's soccer. I get really involved in programs that promote the world of soccer. I'm a communications major at school, so I'll be in comm and business administration. I want to be an athletic director of a program, get involved in a college atmosphere and things like that.
Are you currently involved in coaching kids?
Yeah, I do a bunch of volunteer work down at school. I get out and help the local Corvallis (Oregon) soccer club with indoor training sessions. My coaching staff actually runs the club as well, so I get out there and help do a bunch of volunteer work as well -- obviously I can't get paid at school. Also, growing up, before I left for school, I was here with the Whitecaps and a lot of programs with Sam Lenarduzzi, developing coaching, getting into that. Definitely promoting soccer and coaching the kids, getting involved in administration-type work and building programs.
It seems as though you're already thinking beyond your playing career.
Yeah, 100%. I want to coach. If I can coach at a top-level college, that's what I want to do. But I think, down the road, with communications and stuff like that, I'd also like to do sports broadcasting. I could see myself being a soccer analyst as well, because I understand the game, I'm pretty smart -- as long as I keep up with the players and the studies and things like that. That's definitely what I want to do after I'm done my playing career.
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