2021 Squad Profiles
Aliyah Deneault
Team/Club: Thompson Okanagan Football Club (TOFC) and Whitecaps FC Pre-Girls Elite (WFC Pre GE) soccer program
School: Valleyview Secondary School
Age: 14
Sport Experience: volleyball, basketball, track and field, dance, soccer
Short Term Goal: to make the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super Rex this year, keep improving my skills on my own time, and working on my mental game
Long Term Goals: To make a Youth National Team and get a scholarship to play at a NCAA D1 school for soccer
Other interests and Awards: I love cooking and baking with my family and friends. I’ve also made the BC soccer team in 2018-2019. I am the captain of my TOFC team.
Emerson Willis
Team/Club: Kamloops Minor Hockey Association (KMHA)
School: Valleyview Secondary School
Age: 14
Grade: 9
Sport Experience:
- 5 years in hockey, 1st season as player and last 4 seasons as a goalie
- 2 years enrolled in Valleyview Jockey Academy
- Attended various goalie specific training camps over the years
- Played soccer from ages 5-12 for KYSA
- Has tried lots of different sports over the years from swimming to golf to track & field
Short term goals:
- Be the starting goalie at the Midget level
- Get more flexible
- Eat better
Long term goals:
- Play hockey for life
- Cross train so I don’t get injured
- Play at a higher level
Awards:
- Player of the game (several times throughout the years I’ve played)
- 2019/2020 our hockey team was the runner up at the Night of Champions
Other interests:
- Fishing
- Golfing
- Playing video games
Joe Kitamura
Team/Club: Overlander Ski Club
School: South Kamloops Secondary School
Age: 14
Sport Experience:
● Provincial nordic ski racing
● BC winter games
● BC Talent squad
Short Term Goals:
● Team BC
● Top three agergit for BC champs
● Win a provincial race
Long Term Goals:
● National team
● Olympics
● World cup
Other Interests and Awards:
● Running
● mountain biking
● wake surfing/surfing
Jorja Kopytko
- 9 years curling, 6 years competitively
- 6 years club/competitive swimming
- Qualify for U18 Nationals for curling
- Qualify for Junior (U21) Nationals for curling
- Qualify for Provincials for swimming
- Make it to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts (curling)
- Make it to Woman’s Worlds (curling)
- Kayaking
- Hiking/ walking
- 2020 High School Curling Provincial Champion
Zachary Fortin
Team/Club: KYSA Rep soccer, Whitecaps Academy soccer, Sun Peaks Freestyle Club
School: Sahali Secondary, Kamloops, BC
Age: 14
Sport Experience:
- BC Provincial championship (2019)
- Played for: KYSA (2010-2013); Andres Diaz Academy & Universidad Catholica (2013-2015), Soccer Quest (2015-2019), Whitecaps Academy (2015-2020), Whitecaps HPL (2018-2020).
- Currently playing for KYSA Select team (Blaze), 2nd year. Mid-field or right wing.
- Winter Classics Cup (Seattle, 2020), Whitecaps High Performance League (HPL)
- Freestyle BC ski competitions (Timber Tour): Whistler, Big White, Silverstar, Mt Washington, Panorama, Apex, etc.
- Gymnastics for 4 years
Short Term Goals:
- Increase strength in general
- Develop an understanding for training fundamentals
- Get to know other athletes
Long Term Goals:
- Get faster/improve speed
- Better nutritional habits
- Become a better overall athlete
Other Interests and Awards:
- Honors Roll
- MVP nominations: Umbro Cup Challenge (Vancouver, 2018), Mayors Cup (Vancouver, 2018), and several other soccer games and tournaments (>10x).
- Sponsorships from Spoke Bike & Ski, and BAT Construction Ltd.
- Downhill mountain biking, surfing
- Video games, traveling