NSL's Calgary Wild look to build on old communities and create new ones for women's soccer

Canada is a soccer nation. More specifically, Canada is a women's soccer nation. As the debut of the Northern Super League draws near, we are getting an opportunity to explore different regions and different cultures of women's soccer within Canada.

AFC Toronto is firmly planting itself as a prestigious club in the biggest city where the existing market is the largest; Halifax Tides have arguably the best mascot, Jawslyn, who has already generated online buzz. 

One of Canada's beloved cities that screams stampede but not necessarily women's soccer is Calgary. The Calgary Wild is one of the six inaugural teams that will begin play in April. I went to Calgary to find out how the Wild are building up a culture of women's sports. At the very foundation is construction. They brought in a leader, club president Lara Murphy, from the construction industry to build it. 

In Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters, a local coffee company, I sat with head coach Lydia Bedford (first woman to coach in the English Premier League), Murphy, and Chris Dornan, the head of the team's media and communications department. 

WATCH | Calgary Wild gear up for inaugural season:

Calgary Wild FC gear up for inaugural season

Over flat whites and a lot of Maritimes banter — Murphy is originally from New Brunswick — we talked about how they will fill the stands of McMahon Stadium (home of the CFL Stampeders), how they are assembling a team, and what their hopes are. 

"Calgary is the third most diverse city in Canada," Murphy said. "And [we can use this] in a way in which we can create a sense of belonging. That's all any of us want. Whether we're high-performance athletes, we're writing stories, we're leading a team, we're selling tickets, whatever the