Soccer players chase their dreams at Winnipeg Ember FC tryouts

Winnipeg's women's professional soccer team has a name, and now they've got to start building a roster. Open tryouts for Ember FC happened over the weekend, and some of these players could eventually be on the team. Three-time Olympic medalist and team co-founder Desiree Scott says she could feel the excitement. I think it's a game-changer. This is something that has not been possible before. We're now creating those opportunities for a professional environment, professional atmosphere, and potentially for them to achieve their dreams of going pro right here in our backyard. More than 100 athletes took part in the two-day session. People who are trying out range from as young as 15 to their 30s. They were competing for a chance to be invited to the Ember FC main training camp ahead of the next Northern Super League season. Scott says if they could take everybody, they would, but they have to be realistic. If you can get three to five strong players that are invited into preseason, I think that's key, and we'll see as our review happens. Naomi Olarwaju came to Winnipeg from Nigeria three years ago. She has her sights set on going pro. My family would be proud. My dad and my mom most especially, they always wished the best for me and I've always wanted to be a professional soccer player ever since, you know, I can remember. Cheyenne Carrington and Katie Krause hopped on a plane from Ontario to chase the same dream. We owe it to ourselves. We've trained for so long to be the best that we can be and this is the best place to actually do it and to have Desiree Scott be here is like a huge honour. Even if we were the worst ones here, to be able to show up and come here and have this opportunity and be a part of something new is always an awesome experience. And I think that's one of the reasons why we paid on our own dime and took the flight from Ontario and came here is because we know what an amazing opportunity it is to join something new like this. Kudos to all your efforts and we keep going here. The team also says over a thousand season ticket deposits have been put down so far they're going to play out of a new modular stadium at the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex. Gavin Axelrod, CBC News, Winnipeg.