From soccer player to head coach of CF Montréal's women's program: Julie Casselman's journey

By Emmanuelle Champagne 

Before becoming a coach· head coach of the women's program at the CF Montreal Academy, Julie Casselman had only one dream: to become a professional soccer player. Sometimes, the vagaries of life mean that our path can change, and for the better. 

She started playing soccer at the age of four. Originally from the Outaouais region, she joined the regional team in Gatineau, FC Gatineau, formerly known as the Hull Soccer Association. 

At the age of 14, she played for the Quebec team. Shortly thereafter, she received an invitation from the National High Performance Center (CNHP) located in Laval. She gladly accepted the offer. She packed her bags and moved in with a host family in Laval to pursue her dream. 

"My idea was to pursue a career in sports and nothing else," says Julie Casselman, head coach of the women's program at the CF Montreal Academy. 

On the way to the United States

After several camps with the U17 national team and several competitions with the U20 national team, she flew to Kentucky. More specifically, she moved to Louisville, where she chose to complete a bachelor's degree in justice administration at the university. Her choice of degree had nothing to do with her passion for sports. She chose this program solely to continue playing soccer there. 

When physical health takes over

Julie Casselman suffered her fifth concussion when she started playing in Louisville. The team doctors therefore asked her to withdraw from the game to avoid further damage to her physical health. Her dream of becoming a professional soccer player thus took a different turn. 

To keep her on the team, the coach asked her to organize individual sessions with players who needed extra help. That's when Julie Casselman became interested in coaching... 

Upon returning to Quebec, she became a coach·for soccer clubs on a part-time basis. Three years later, in 2015, she took on a full-time teaching position. From 2015 to 2019, she was an educator for a sports-study program located in the Lanaudière region.

His role as coach·evolved when Soccer Québec offered her a full-time position as women's soccer coordinator. The management and organizational aspects of the job piqued her curiosity. 

She also held the position of assistant at the National High Performance Center (CNHP) for two consecutive years, from 2019 to 2022. 

Life smiled on her when the head coach of the women's program at the CF Montreal Academy stepped down. Since CF Montreal is taking over the CNHP, she was delighted to make the transition from Soccer QC to CF Montreal, becoming the new head coach of CF Montreal's women's program.