Overcoming Barriers with Sheryl Okemaysim Bulger
Sheryl Okemaysim grew up in Beardy's playing soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with her mom as her coach and the community covering the league fees so all eight kids in the family could play. In this episode, Sheryl talks about soccer as an outlet and a way of life. She remembers busing in from Beardy's to play in Saskatoon in the early '90s, and getting back on the pitch as a young mom.
Sheryl and her husband, Corey Bugler, met through soccer and went on to co-found Native Sons Football Club. She shares the low moment in that first year, when the money for the team's flights wasn't coming in and the trip to Europe almost didn't happen. Her words to Corey that day: "Don't lose hope, don't give up. Because if you lose hope, then all hope is gone." A few months later, the team was on the plane to the Gothia Cup in Sweden. Today, former Native Sons players are coming back to coach the next generation.
Sheryl also honours her late mom, who kept women's soccer going back home through fundraisers, dances and raffles, and shares family stories of soccer in Beardy's going back generations.
Want to hear the other side of the Native Sons story? Listen to our episode with Corey Bugler.
Have a soccer story of your own? Share it with us, donate photos or memorabilia, and visit the showcases at Kinsmen / Henk Ruys and the Saskatoon Soccer Centre.