LABBE Stephanie

Canada
Football
10 Oct 1986
34
Female
1.78/5'10''
EDMONTON, AB
 
Canada

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
FBL Football Women
CAN
Canada
 1 Gold Medal

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Sapporo Dome
Women's Group E
#01
JPN
Japan
1
CAN
Canada
1
Finished
Sapporo Dome
Women's Group E
#08
CHI
Chile
1
CAN
Canada
2
Finished
Ibaraki Kashima Stadium
Women's Group E
#14
CAN
Canada
1
GBR
Great Britain
1
Finished
Miyagi Stadium
Women's Quarter-final
#22
CAN
Canada
0
 (4)
PSO
BRA
Brazil
0
 (3)
Finished
Ibaraki Kashima Stadium
Women's Semi-final
#24
USA
United States
0
CAN
Canada
1
Finished
International Stadium Yokohama
Women's Gold Medal Match
#26
SWE
Sweden
1
 (2)
CAN
Canada
1
 (3)
PSO
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
Olympic Games
RankEventYearLocation
3Senior2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA

FIFA Women's World Cup
RankEventYearLocation
6Senior2015Canada
11Senior2019France
16Senior2011Germany

CONCACAF Women's Championship
RankEventYearLocation
2Senior2018United States of America
:
Steph (equalizersoccer.com, 04 Jun 2016)
:
Athlete, Coach
:
Early Childhood Studies, Education - University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
:
Partner Georgia Simmerling
:
English, French, Swedish
:
FC Rosengard [Malmo, SWE] since 2020
:
Jonas Eidevall [club], SWE; Bev Priestman [national], GBR
:
Goalkeeper (washingtonspirit.com, 24 Jun 2016)
:
Her partner Georgia Simmerling has represented Canada in three different sports at the Olympic Games. She won bronze in the women's track cycling team pursuit at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and also took part in alpine skiing at the Olympic Winter Games in 2010 and freestyle skiing in 2014 in Sochi. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Feb 2021; olympic.ca, 08 Dec 2019)
:
2008 for Canada Against Singapore, Friendly Match in Singapore (canadasoccer.com, 09 Mar 2016)
:
In 2011, she tore her posterior cruciate ligament [knee] while playing for Pitea IF in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. (canadasoccer.com, 18 Jan 2011)
:
Damallsvenskan [SWE] (nccourage.com, 21 Dec 2020)
:
She began playing football recreationally at age seven and took up the sport competitively at age 12 with Spruce Grove Saints in Alberta, Canada. She also grew up playing ice hockey and basketball. "I played hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer. But hockey is very time consuming. Then, by the time I was 12, I was the only girl on my team, and had to start changing in my own locker room, so that was isolating." (thegistsports.com, 17 Mar 2020; limitlesspursuits.com, 19 Nov 2015; canadasoccer.com, 01 Jan 2013)
:
"My friends from school said I should play indoor soccer. I couldn't do both hockey and soccer. But I totally loved indoor soccer, and had so much fun. So, in the summer I tried out for the rep team, and at the try-outs the coach asked if anyone would go in goal. There were about eight of us 12-year-olds putting up our hands so we all rotated. Then at the end of try-out, the coach asked how badly I wanted to be on the team, and if I was willing to be goalkeeper." (thegistsports.com, 17 Mar 2020; limitlesspursuits.com, 19 Nov 2015)
:
German footballer Manuel Neuer, Canadian ice hockey player Kelly Hrudey. (canadasoccer.com, 09 Mar 2016)
:
Coach Max Colucci. (canadasoccer.com, 18 Jan 2011)
:
"If you're going to live your life being scared of the negative things that can happen, then you aren't going to go anywhere." (thegistsports.com, 17 Mar 2020)
:
She won the Golden Glove award for the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship in the United States of America. (concacaf.com, 10 Feb 2020)

She was named 2009 North Sweden Player of the Year. (allwhitekit.com, 04 Oct 2010)

While representing the University of Connecticut in the United States of America, she was named 2008 Big East Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. (olympic.ca, 01 Mar 2016)

General Interest

General
GENDER EQUALITY
She began training with Canadian men's side Calgary Foothills in March 2018 but was ineligible to play competitively due to Premier Development League [PDL] rules. She would later play for Foothills' women's team in United Women's Soccer. "From the start, I kind of knew that was treading in uncharted waters because there is no female that has ever done this in soccer. I know a few females have done it in [ice] hockey and that made me think that if they can do it, why can't I? It's a battle that needs to be fought and for me I'm a big believer in gender equality and I stand behind that 100%. This is a fight that I want to fight because there are young girls out there that are dreaming like I am and may be following this journey one day, and I want to fight now because I don't want them to be told they can't do it." (theplayerstribune.com, 10 Jul 2018; calgaryherald.com, 03 May 2018; ncourage.com, 17 Oct 2020)

NATURAL GOALKEEPER
She played goalkeeper and outfield positions up to age 17, and says she felt like a natural keeper. "Ever since I started playing competitively I was playing half games in goal, half out. I started to feel I was becoming really good at the position, and had something special. Something came naturally and I had a fearless nature to me. I have always loved the pressure I have as a goalkeeper, and I truly thrive on it. I have gone through many battles with the mental side of the game, but I love challenges, and I love pushing myself beyond obstacles. I have a 'never quit' mentality, and when things get tough, I embrace it and it motivates me to work even harder." (limitlesspursuits.com, 19 Nov 2015)

CLUB CAREER
After graduating from the University of Connecticut, she began her professional career at Pitea IF in the Swedish Damallsvenskan in 2009, where she played for three years before moving to KIF Orebro. In 2016 she moved to US National Women's Soccer League [NWSL] club Washington Spirit. After she was prevented from playing for Calgary Foothills' men's team in the Premier Development League on gender grounds in 2018, she signed for the Foothills' women's side in United Women's Soccer. Following spells with Swedish club Linkopings and North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, she moved back to the Damallsvenskan with Rosengard in December 2020. (stephanielabbe.com, 01 Mar 2018; calgaryherald.com, 03 May 2018; fotballskanalen.se, 07 Oct 2018; ncourage.com, 17 Oct 2020; ncourage.com, 21 Dec 2020)

MENTAL HEALTH
She has been open about her battles with anxiety and depression, and wants to use her story to help others. "I realise this [mental health] is going to be a constant battle. I recognise the triggers. But I also know my story can touch people. At first I thought maybe a few soccer players might understand, but it's been much more. The legacy I want to leave, one of the things I keep coming back to, is being authentic. By talking, by being real, I'm showing that everybody takes different journeys, unique pathways to being who they are. I feel that's my purpose in life." (olympic.ca, 28 Jan 2019)

COACH
She has run Labbe Keeper Camps, providing coaching for goalkeepers. (stephlabbe.com, 09 Feb 2016; LinkedIn profile, Jul 2015)

Legend
:
Gold Medal
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
PSO:
Penalty Shoot-out
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
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