Jill Flockhart describes the experience as the best four years of her life.
Salmon Arm’s Flockhart is wrapping up four years at the University of Idaho where she has been living the dream of many young soccer players.
Flockhart, 21, was offered major scholarships at four U.S. universities before she settled on Idaho – and it was a great decision.
“I had an amazing experience here. I absolutely loved Idaho, I loved the team, I loved the school. Some of the girls I’ve met here are my best friends. Yeah, I’ve had a really good experience,” she concludes.
Flockhart was outstanding in more ways than one for the Vandals team. She was one of three players who, amazingly, started in every single game – 83 – over her four years.
“So I played a lot,” she smiles.
And, in order to do that, she made it through four years of soccer without injury.
“I am very fortunate,” she says. “I made sure I was physically ready for every season when I came in. I made sure I had knee endurance and strength.”
Other players do the same, but are injured anyway, she adds.
Flockhart was ranked second all-time at the university with 17 career assists; ranked third all-time in game-winning goals (five); and ranked fourth all-time in career points (35).
Playing for the Vandals demanded a complete commitment.
“During the season, we’d get one day off normally, travel every weekend, have two-hour practices every afternoon plus an hour of weights and strength training,” she explains. “Off season, most of the time you’re at the weight room at 6 a.m.; after that you head out. The schedule is very hard to manage – it’s a lot of soccer.”
Despite all the soccer, Flockhart didn’t neglect her studies, attaining a 3.9 grade point average.
She wraps up her final year on May 10, at which time she’ll be coming back to Salmon Arm to give a hand to Shuswap Youth Soccer.
She hopes to drop in on youth practices.
“I’m hoping to work with some of the coaches, show some of the drills I know, and I also want to do some of the personal training with some of the girls who want to make it to the next level.”
She won’t be back home for too long, however. After majoring in international studies and global development with a minor in geology, Flockhart has discovered a job that seems to be a perfect fit.
“I actually had a really cool meeting with a non-governmental organization – Soccer Without Borders – yesterday,” she said Friday. “They presented me with a year-long internship in Uganda where I’ll be working with a lot of impoverished youth.”
Youth there are encouraged to participate in soccer, where added to the game is a focus on education, self-confidence and work with women on equality.
Although she hadn’t officially accepted the offer Friday, she expects to head to Uganda in July.
“It fits nicely, combining both of my passions and works right in with my degree… I really enjoy youth soccer coaching. I haven’t ever had the experience to work with youth in developing countries.”
Flockhart hasn’t given up playing soccer, but she says it’s very difficult in women’s soccer to break into the next level after collegiate. In the U.S. an MLS-type of women’s league has been formed, but it’s where the national players play.
“It would be great to get the opportunity, but hard to break into that league.”
In pursuing collegiate soccer, Flockhart focused on the U.S. primarily because of the funding available for players.
“Mother filmed me through a lot of my high-school years. I put together a complete package, kind of like a soccer resumé. I sent it out to a bunch of schools throughout the U.S.,” she says.
Then she played in a showcase tournament in Seattle attended by a lot of scouts. She went down as an individual and was picked up by a team that needed a player. From that, she received four offers.
“I ended up choosing Idaho because I loved the coach,” she says.
And another factor influencing her decision involved her home town. Small-town Moscow resembles Salmon Arm.
