The Barrie Soccer Club (BSC) had an unprecedented week as multiple players signed letters of intent with respective universities on both sides of the border.
Seven players from the BSC U21 team are headed to the next step of their soccer careers while also furthering of their education.
Maddison Walter (Trent), Salena Devellis (Carleton), Marisa Tomassoni (Wilfrid Laurier), Nathalie Hoppe (Western), Cierra Bedford (Carleton), Lauren McConnell (Iowa State), and Avery Ward (Windsor) will all be representing the local soccer club elsewhere.
And Will Devllis couldn't be happier.
The BSC president tells BarrieToday the whole club is buzzing with the recent signings.
“We are all so very proud of these girls. They’ve been putting in the hard work on the field and in the school,” Devellis said. “Four of these teens have been playing for me since they were about eight or 10 years old, so personally I am very happy with the news.”
Five of the seven players were part of the team’s 2017 provincial championship; the 2003 age group is the Barrie only team that has been to at least the semifinals every year.
Nathalie Hoppe, 17, was on that 2017 team that was also inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame. An injury forced Hoppe out of the final of that Ontario championship, but put her to the path toward post-secondary education.
“I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) back then, and seeing how great the physiotherapists were with me made me want to get into that field,” Hoppe said. “I’ll take kinesiology at Western University and at the end of second year, I’d like to go into accelerated nursing.”
Hoppe, who has been with BSC since she was four years old, credits the club with preparing her for the future.
“Coach Will taught us to be focused and determined. Even when we’re hurt, we were told to be at practice, to be around the game and be mentally involved,” she said. “It's something I can see using in the future, showing motivation at everything I do.”
Salena Devellis is headed to Carleton University to major in health science. The 17-year-old forward has also been with the BSC since she was four years old.
“It's going to be very bittersweet to go. I’ve been here my whole life and played with so many friends,” she said. “But I’m so excited to see where this takes me and to represent the city of Barrie wherever I go.”
In the organization’s U14 Ontario championship, Salena Devellis scored two goals, including the game winner.
Will Devellis says this was the first time in club history so many players have signed at once and BSC plans on continuing the momentum.
“We just initiated the the Barrie Soccer Club college/university prep program so we can continue to build players from here and send them into a successful post-secondary life, on the field and in the class,” he said.
The program is open to not just Barrie players, but those throughout the Huronia region. It's an application process where players need to meet specified criteria.
Applicants need to maintain an 85 per cent average in school, show proof of being involved in community volunteering, and write a 500-word essay describing what soccer means to them.
“We will assist them in being ready for sending in emails and videos for university, prepare them for their SATs and help them understand what is expected of them in recruitment,” said Devellis. “The response has been great and we’ve heard from various clubs in Huronia and even as far as Nova Scotia.
“Between having seven players committing to university at the same time and the development of new programs, we as a club are making some noise,” he added.
