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One year on from the inaugural Women’s National Team training camp, the squad returned to Springdale, Arkansas, United States. The 4-day camp was the first under the stewardship of Women’s National Team Head Coach Katie Smith.

Smith, Assistant Coach at Xavier’s Women’s Soccer program, has been in position for 9 months but this has been the first chance for her to work with the group. She did however represent the Soccer Federation last July at Camp Iakwe, the Culture Camp for adopted Marshallese children in the US, alongside players Em Miller and Este Kanono, which afforded her the opportunity to learn more about the Marshall Islands.

For our Women’s National Team, all of the players are spread around the United States, so whilst North West Arkansas is a logical choice for our American base it does mean that players are travelling quite a distance to be take part, including California, Minneapolis, Texas, Virginia, and Oklahoma represented in the squad.

We were able to call-up 7 players to the squad, with 2 new players in Dolly Lollin and Esme Howd joining the roster. The camp was almost exactly 1 year on from the first and most recent Women’s Training Camp.

During the camp the players were put through their paces with 4 training sessions on a variety of surfaces, ensuring the team will be adequately prepared for both outdoor soccer and futsal. Thanks to our friends at John Brown University for allowing us the use of the their training fields.

Off the field, the players made an effort to bond with a film night, hikes, and team bonding activities. One thing that has struck us during both the camps has been the friendships being forged through soccer.

Despite the Federations best efforts in 2024, we were unable to secure any opponents, largely owing to the fact that FIFA member nations are unwilling to budget for a fixture that will not count towards their mandated quota of matches.

That has left us looking for alternative fixture options for 2025, with the Federation desperate to continue building momentum and lining up additional training camps for the Women’s team that build towards a futsal fixture.

11 aside soccer will be off the agenda for the Women’s team in the short-term, simply due to the limited numbers of players we are able to call upon. With the talented, but modest squad size we have, we are solely looking for futsal opponents.

If you know anybody who is Marshallese, or has Marshallese ancestry, and would be interested in representing their country, please complete our Registration of Interest form.

Coach Katie Smith was delighted with the training camp, “We’ve had to be patient waiting for my first training camp as Head Coach, but we’re thankful to the Federation showing their commitment to the Women’s Soccer Programme by funding this event. Although i got to meet Em (Miller) and Este (Kanono) at Camp Iakwe, it’s been great getting to know the rest of the squad. I’ve been blown away by both their camaraderie and the skills on show.”

Having just returned from the Inter-Island Men’s Event in the Marshall Islands himself, Technical Director, Lloyd Owers was unable to attend this years camp but was still pleased with the event. “We leave this training camp once again more determined that ever to find competitive fixtures for our Women’s National Team. They continually demonstrate a passion and commitment that deserves international recognition, and this team could well make history by being the first ever Marshallese Women’s Soccer team.

Thankfully, the Soccer Federation was able to cover all expenses for the squad, including travel, to ensure they get valuable time together on and off the field. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our global fanbase who contribute through purchasing jerseys and other merchandise.

Funding continues to be a challenge for the Soccer Federation, as they look for sponsors and donors willing to back the program and help take the project to the next level. International soccer can quickly become very expensive, especially for an organization that doesn’t receive regular funding from any external bodies.