Calgary Wild FC announce signing of local teen twins

Calgary Wild FC has announced the signing two local twins who are a product of the Calgary Minor Soccer organization.

The 17-year-old Grade 12 students Keelyn and Taegan Stewart are the first teenagers confirmed to be part of the eight-team Northern Super League set to kick off its inaugural season in April.

“Keelyn and Taegan came into this world as a package, they took their first kicks in the sport together, they developed through Calgary’s soccer system together, and we are excited to be able welcome them both as they embark on their professional careers together with their hometown club,” reads a statement from Alix Bruch, sporting director for Calgary Wild FC.

“These two athletes exemplify the strength and depth of Alberta’s soccer pipeline and are proof to young female players in the province the pathway to pro can start and end at home.”

The pair were members of a Canadian U-15 team that took part in the CONCACAF tournament in 2022 and won a silver medal.

At 10-years-old, the Stewarts trained with the boys Barca Academy in Barcelona and then returned there a year later to play on an all-boys team at the Barca Academy World Cup.

The Stewarts trained in Germany for the past two years with the SC Freiburg U17 and U20 teams. They also recently trained and played with the Wales U20 National Team because of their mother’s Welsh roots.

“It’s just so natural ,we’ve gotten used to each other’s movements,” says Keelyn Stewart. “Some people say we read each other’s minds, doesn’t happen. But we can just read where we’re gonna play and where the space is and where we should be moving to.”

The pair never thought playing with a women’s professional league in their hometown was a real option, until now.

“With this league, it’ll be able to show young girls that you can actually stay home and you can actually be with family and friends and have that support network around you,” says Keelyn.

The local opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time for the pair. They had plans to move to Germany within months and now can chase their professional dream alongside family.

“They’re really excited, and they’re actually happy that we get to stay home so they can watch us play live,” says Taegan. “Not through like a recording or something like that.”

The Stewart twins are among six Calgarians on the Calgary Wild FC roster.

The club’s training camp kicks off on Feb. 3.