Seventeen-year-old Capri Kodric, our Chronicle Athlete of the Month for January, scored her very first goal on Sunday, Jan. 13 after seven seasons with the Mid-Isle Soccer Club.
Kodric plays on the Ladysmith FC U18 Girls team. She is a Grade 12 student at Ladysmith Secondary School, where I caught up with her for a quick Q&A last week.
What position do you play?
“Forward and mid-field, but I did play keeper once this season because we were in desperate need. I took one for the team.”
What’s your most memorable soccer moment?
“Probably my goal,” Kodric said, referring to the goal she scored against Parksville’s Oceanside team. “I was playing midfield and one of my teammates shot the ball. The goalie deflected it, and it went off the goalpost and was running along the goal line. I just ran up and tipped it in.”
How many points have you earned through assists?
“I couldn’t tell you. I’ve lost count.”
How’s your team performing this season?
“Good,” Kodric said, “We’re in fourth place.” (Eight teams play in U16/U17/U18 Nanaimo and District Youth Soccer league)
What are your thoughts on school?
“I like it,” she said. “I want to be an elementary school teacher when I grow up.”
What’s your favourite subject in school?
“It used to be English,” Kodric said, “but English is kind of getting hard now, so maybe biology or P.E.”
What’s your favourite book or poem?
“I’m going to say Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher,” Kodric said, referring to the No. 1 New York Times bestseller. “Probably because I read it most recently.”
Where will you study next year?
“At [Vancouver Island University] in Nanaimo,” Kodric said. “I’ll start with a bachelor of arts, and after three years, I’ll go in for a bachelor of education.”
Will you try out for VIU’s soccer team?
“I wasn’t really planning on it,” Kodric said, admitting she might consider playing recreationally.
One of Kodric’s coaches, Sean Tutte, shared some thoughts about our Athlete of the Month, as well:
“Capri will never be the fastest or most skilled player on the field, but coaches, we know that we can put her out there and she will always try her best,” he said.”This year, I would say that we have actually found her to be a definite ‘nuisance’ to the players on the other team — she may not run them down, but they always have to get around her, as she is usually in the right spot to make a ‘tackle.’”
“I believe all the girls like her, and there was not a player on our team that missed the fact that it was her who scored and what it meant to her and them,” he added, referring to Kodric’s goal. “In fact, the coach from the other team complained about the ‘over’ celebration, not understanding the ‘why’ of it.
“She was very happy about the goal, but other than a shy smile, there was not much of a hint, most likely not helped by the fact that she hit hard into the goal post when she scored.”
