Pioneering soccer star helped build foundation for future generations

Lydia Vamos excelled at every level she played at and established herself as one of the early Canadian soccer stars to lay the foundations for the growth and development of women’s soccer in Canada.

Vamos, who has been enshrined in multiple halls of fame including the Brantford & Area Sports Hall of Fame and McMaster University Athletics Hall of Fame, explained her earlier beginnings in soccer.

“I grew up on a farm, so I had a little bit of a break from it when I got to play soccer in the summer. During my first game, I realized that I’m pretty good at it…I scored six goals that match and after that fell in love with the game,” recalled Vamos.

Vamos quickly developed into a dominating player while playing in her hometown of Burford. She then moved on to play in Brantford, being introduced to more competitive players and teams.

“My first coach was Ken Peach [and] he did a wonderful job. [Burford] was a small town [and we] always had the same group of girls and the same coach for years. And then I moved to Brantford and played for John Wright, where the fields are named after him. I was very fortunate to have two great coaches in the area,” said Vamos.

The full story can be found on our content partner, The Brant Beacon.