Players from the Calgary Wild FC turned in their cleats for a pair of dancing boots to celebrate a time-honoured Calgary tradition.

Wild FC hit Calgary’s famed Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall on March 24 for a white hat ceremony and line dancing to welcome players to the city.

The white hat ceremony led by Cindy Good, presented both players and coaches with Calgary’s symbolic white cowboy hat. The team consists of 25 players and 11 coaches, many with international connections. They will begin their inaugural season of play on April 16 against Vancouver. Their first home date is May 11 at McMahon Stadium.

With line dancing lessons from their own teammate and Calgary native, Caleigh Boeckx, and her brother Kyler, athletes were able to try something new as a team.

“We have girls representing 11 different countries. A lot of them had absolutely no idea what to expect,” said Boeckx.  

Boeckx and her brother both were following a different path before deciding to come back to their hometown. Kyler Boeckx was formerly a development engineer for Apple in the U.S. before moving back to Canada to pursue his love for line dancing by opening his own dance studio, KQ Dance.

“I’m really proud of him for doing what he’s done, and kind of just making a decision in life based off of where he’s going to find joy,” said Caliegh. Like Kyler, Caileigh was away from Calgary playing soccer in Houston, Texas before deciding to move back home to play for Calgary Wild FC.  

Being born and raised in Calgary, Boeckx wanted to bring her love for swing dancing and soccer together and commemorate a special moment for her teammates. “I think when you care about the people that you’re playing with and you’re on the field and you need that extra push, you can look over and see somebody that you care about,” she said.  

For some of the international athletes, this was their first time experiencing Western culture.

“This was really outside my comfort zone, but a lot of fun,” said Michaela Moore. Moore is originally from New Zealand and joined Calgary Wild FC in 2024.

“I think Caleigh and her brother put on a good dance for us. It was fun to be a part of it,” said Moore. 

Moore said this helped build her excitement about being in Calgary.

“To hear the background and the history behind it was special and obviously it’s an honour,” she said.

The team’s head coach figured this was a great opportunity for team building and to immerse themselves in the culture of the city they hope to represent on the pitch.

“It’s really special for the players,” said Lydia Bedford, head coach of the Wild FC.

“It brings a bit of joy when you get a connection to the city.”