🎙️ Player Spotlight – Molly Hammond In this episode, we sit down with Molly Hammond from our 2010 Girls OPDL team. A passionate, thoughtful centre back who brings both intensity and perspective to the game. Molly shared a moment from when she was younger that perfectly captures how the game first grabbed her. While playing with Delko Bridge, she scored a goal and her coach at the time, Wendy, ran over, gave her the biggest bear hug, and spun her around in celebration. Years later, that memory still sticks with her as the moment she truly fell in love with the beautiful game. Since then, Molly’s journey has taken her from Delko Bridge to Byron in 2020, and eventually to Whitecaps London where she now anchors the back line primarily as a centre back, while also being comfortable at full back. Throughout the conversation, she spoke with tremendous respect for her coach David Rojas, crediting his drive to win, high expectations, and constructive feedback as major influences in her growth as a player. Molly embraces the commitment that comes with playing at this level. Beyond team training, she continues to invest in her development by working with specialty coaches around the city, always looking for ways to improve. What stands out most is her willingness to be honest about both her strengths and the areas she’s still working on...a quality that separates athletes who truly want to grow. She believes last season marked one of the biggest jumps in her development, especially in her communication on the field, her confidence in taking risks, and her ability to lead from the back. As a defender, she takes pride in building the play out from the back and also relishes the challenge of recovering and defending her goal when the game demands it. Off the pitch, Molly plays field hockey at school and enjoys spending time with friends, who describe her as laid back, loyal, funny, and deeply committed to the people around her. Looking ahead, Molly hopes to continue her soccer journey at the NCAA or OUA level, while also pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor and eventually attending medical school. Her final takeaway from the podcast was simple but powerful: celebrate the small victories. Whether it’s a perfectly placed pass through defenders that creates a chance or a small moment of progress in a game, those moments matter. For Molly, recognizing those small wins is part of what keeps the love of the game alive. You’ll hear that passion throughout this conversation with Molly Hammond.