Joyce Stewart stepped on her first soccer field in 1978 and began her volunteerism with Gloucester Soccer Association.  Her willingness to help her son/daughter’s teams and the club expanded her involvement from soccer mom, to being elected as the first female President of GSA.

As President of Gloucester Soccer Association, she became an ambassador for soccer programs within the larger City of Gloucester community which included being appointed as the Chair of the Gloucester Recreation Advisory Committee, reporting to the Mayor and Council. This role provided the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the nuance of navigating municipal government which was critical in negotiating future field acquisitions due to the growth of the game, as well as addressing the challenges of the city user-pay policy.

Joyce was encouraged to run as a Director on the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association and eventually served two terms as the first female President of EODSA.  She implemented an inter-district alliance with SOSA which became the stepping stone for the Regional League system.  The Premier League was modified to include an U23 age group to allow for the integration of the U18 competitive teams to move into the higher placed grouping rather than starting at the bottom of the pyramid. This addition provided the players with a similar environment of play they had experienced in the youth league.

Joyce was first introduced to the governing body of Ontario Soccer as the EODSA District Representative on their 30 member board.  She was elected to the Executive Committee of Ontario Soccer as one of three Director-at-large positions and was elected as the first female Vice President in Ontario Soccer history.  Her experience in soccer and municipal government opened the door to be invited to the board of Sport Alliance of Ontario (SAO) where she interacted with the Ministry of Sport, Recreation and Culture of the Ontario Government staff.  This position was helpful in identifying funding requirements and grant opportunities.

During these years at higher levels of organized soccer, Joyce stayed true to her guiding principle of identifying and removing obstacles so that the game was open to all levels - player, coach, match official, volunteers.  Policies such as Gender Equality, Fair Play, Harassment Prevention, Volunteer Screening became entrenched in the decision making process around the board room table.

 As Ontario Soccer’s Chair of the Volunteer Screening and Harassment Prevention Committee, policy and procedures were reviewed annually to ensure they were both current and procedurally relevant. It was vital that Ontario Soccer protect the players and volunteers as they deserve to receive the highest Duty of Care Ontario Soccer could provide. Additionally with the successful work of the Ontario Soccer Harassment Prevention Committee, Joyce was named the Chair of the National Harassment Prevention Committee.

Joyce was a board member of Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association (EMSA) from 2016-2020 during which she conducted educational workshops for clubs on Board Governance, developed policies on Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities, Transgender Policy, and Social Media Policy.  In May 2020, after the death of George Floyd, EMSA created the Black Lives Matter Taskforce. Joyce researched funding opportunities for a (BIPOC) EMSA Youth Coaching Certification Program and submitted a grant application to Canadian Tire Jumpstart which was approved. The Taskforce has recently changed to the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee and the EMSA Youth Coaching Program has 23 youth (ages 14-18) who are eligible to complete their certification this summer.

Throughout the past 44 years, Joyce Stewart has volunteered her time, expertise, and her diligence in completing the tasks undertaken and has given her a reputation as an ethical leader and advocate of good governance policies.  Joyce was nominated for Ontario Soccer Life Membership by the Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association.  .