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When Miko Delafield’s then 5-year old daughter started playing recreational soccer with the North Whidbey Soccer Club (NWSC), it was a much smaller organization than it is today. She stepped up as coach for her daughter’s team, but had little guidance and despite having played soccer her entire childhood, Delafield spent a lot of time on Google learning the ins and outs of the role.
More than a decade later, the married mother of two is now president of the North Whidbey Soccer Club, and one of her primary goals is ensuring that board members and coaches have all the support they need, including training, supplies, and an open space to share and collaborate on ideas.
To date, Delafield has been a recreational coach, recreational programs director, select coach, vice president, and president. The Oak Harbor native enjoys managing the many personalities of leaders, coaches, players, and community members alike and being the glue that brings them all together and making sure all of the pieces and parts work in harmony.
She is always looking ahead and thinking about next steps for the club and its players - she is currently working with her team to establish player goals for each season and age group within the club.
“Obviously, the dream is to have a player go pro,” Delafield said. “But it’s more than that. It’s about fostering memories and growing good humans. And to be able to do something like that in a sport I love is pretty special.”
The North Whidbey Soccer Club features a recreational program of about 500 players in spring and fall, something offered by only a handful of clubs in the region. The select program is currently the largest it’s ever been.
Another aspect that sets the club apart - in an industry where women make up less than 10 percent of coaching roles worldwide, nearly half of NWSC’s coaches are women. That’s no surprise with Delafield at the helm, the perfect example of one strong woman lifting up many strong women for the benefit of the community as a whole.
