As a girl, there were no female role models. To do so, she had to leave Canada, first for the United States for college and then for Japan and France to play professionally. Serwetnyk won a soccer scholarship to the University of North Carolina, a U.S. powerhouse. In 1985, at the age of 20, she scored 19 goals for the Lady Tar Heels and helped them to national titles in 1986 and 1987. After one year with Fujita, she transferred to Yomiuri, the sister club of the best men's team in the top league.
Soccer is huge there.
Serwetnyk loved being part of a big club. But even there, as a foreign star at the pinnacle of the game, there were hurdles. None of the women were allowed on the grass field . . . We played on gravel and a turf that had sand on it. That was really tough, especially having lived in the United States with Title IX and equal opportunity for boys and girls.