When tasked with building a professional soccer team from the ground up, there are a few main ingredients involved.
Staff, naturally. Players, of course. Investors, yes. Fans, most definitely.
But one core ingredient that stands out when speaking to the staff and players of Ottawa Rapid FC of the Northern Super League is relationships. Building strong relationships.
"It's really been at the forefront of everything we do," said Rapid FC's sporting director and former Canadian national team member, Kristina Kiss.
"I've always believed that a team that gets along off the field will perform better on the field, especially in the women's game, and that extends to staff as well. I think we've really brought in good people and that helps build a positive culture."
When it comes to building relationships, there is probably no one more suited to lead the charge than Katrine Pedersen.
The UEFA Pro Licence coach (the highest coaching certification in Europe), Pedersen comes to Ottawa after a decorated playing career with Denmark (210 caps) and a lengthy coaching resume.
Pedersen, back centre, with her team during a practice session. (Courtesy of Ottawa Rapid FC)No. 1 focusWhat's been her No. 1 focus since taking the job in October 2024?
"Relations. That is the main priority right now and we'll continue to do that," she said on a recent call. "It's special to build a team from the bottom as we've done here. There's an expression that 'they don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.'
"So we're going to build the culture and we're going to build relationships and of course we're going to get on the same page when it comes to football."
Susanne Haaland, a former Norwegian youth international and current defender on the Rapid, knows Pedersen well.
Back in Norway, Pedersen coached her high school team and, for a short period of time, they played professionally together with Stabæk, a club in the suburbs of Oslo.
"It's hard to describe Katrine as a coach without describing her as a person first," Haaland said in a recent interview. "She's an extremely nice person, just a good human being. That ties into everything she does.
"Her kindness and her lovely way of being is at the centre of what she does as a coach. A holistic coach who sees not only the player, but the person as well and really wants people to develop and be at their best."
Kiss also knew Pedersen before they joined forces on the Rapid. They were teammates 20-plus years ago in Norway's Toppserien.
When Kiss took the job with Ottawa and began looking for a head coach, Pedersen's name was at the top of the list.
"We knew the type of person that we wanted, the type of methodology and philosophy that we wanted to establish on the team, which was like a more modern, player-centric approach where the players could be a part of building the team and the system."
Relationship-building was at the root of player signings as well.
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Ottawa-born players like Florence Belzile, Emily Amano, Miranda Smith, Mollie Eriksson and Kayla Adamek have a relationship to the community, having begun their passion for soccer through some of the grassroots clubs in the area.
Or the addition of international players like Haaland, who aside from playing professional soccer holds a master's degree in law and is passionate about environmental and human rights issues. A player with professional experience and principles.
The Rapid opened their training camp in early February at the RA Centre, an indoor all-purpose facility on Riverside Drive. For virtually all of the team's players, it was the first introduction to each other.
Since then, along with fitness testing - including the dreaded yo-yo test - technical and tactical practices, video and recovery sessions, there's been a focus on team-building.
In February, it was skating on the Rideau Canal and trying Beaver Tails, indoor mini golf and cheering on the PWHL's Ottawa Charge. In March, it was a trip to a cabin in Quebec to bond both on and off the pitch and set the tone for the season ahead.
There was snowshoeing, a lot of icebreaker games, strategy sessions and according to Kiss, "some embarrassing footage and photos of each other were shared in good fun."
The team took a trip to a cabin in Quebec to bond. (Courtesy of Ottawa Rapid FC)Haaland, who joined Ottawa from Kolbotn in Norway, says she's excited for the rare opportunity to build the team's culture from scratch.
"For me, it's crucial to build a good team environment where people feel comfortable, where people can be themselves, and where we build each other up.
"Whenever you become a part of a team in other settings, you kind of have to find your place within that team, but now we all can help create a new team.
"We all have the power to help mold our team, mold our culture, and make it into a culture we want."
Ottawa Rapid FC kickoff their inaugural NSL season with their home opener April 27th at TD Place Stadium in Lansdowne Park.