For Chenoa Edzerza not having to travel to Kamloops for soccer practice each week is sweet.
The 17-year-old captain of the Prince George Youth Soccer Association under-18 Kodiaks is one of a handful of players leftover from the 2011 select team and it was initially looking like they'd need to travel south if they wanted to keep playing soccer at a high level.
"[Last year's coach] wanted us to go to Kamloops and play there because he didn't think we'd get a team," said Edzerza. "It would've been a lot of travelling so we just thought it would be better to stay here."
Luckily for Edzerza, and his longtime teammates Brett Bobier, Robby Panaich, Jonathan Richards and Nikola Knezevic, his dad Ken stepped up to coach and about a dozen of the group's friends decided to move up from the house soccer league.
"It's been very last minute," said Edzerza. "I feel we haven't had much time to practice but they've all been pretty committed and with the limited time that we've had together we've gone pretty far to get to provincials. I was quite impressed with all the guys."
The Kodiaks are in Aldergrove this weekend battling seven other teams from around BC for the provincial crown. Despite the lack of experience for many of his teammates, Edzerza said they can't do worse than the U18 Kodiaks did last year.
"It was probably one of our best years but we could've done better in provincials," he said, referring to the fact the Kodiaks placed last at provincials after having won all their tournaments during the season.
In addition to playing tournaments the Kodiaks played in the spring session of the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League posting a record of two wins, three losses and two ties.
Edzerza credits Richards ability to keep cool in the Kodiaks' net to fending off some early season nerves the newcomers may have had.
"I haven't played with many other better goaltenders," said Edzerza. "It's huge that he's playing with us because he's a huge contribution in making key saves."
Richards said the new players, most of whom played with him and Edzerza on the senior boys soccer team at Prince George secondary school last fall, have really improved in the past three months.
"I was yelling at them so much but, eventually they caught on to what I was yelling about so now I don't have to yell that often," said Richards.
Unfortunately, for Richards the season hasn't gone as smoothly as would have liked. The day of the PGSS graduation ceremony he came down with mononucleosis and spent the next week in bed, missing a pair of men's league games and the Kodiaks' tournament in Kamloops.
"That's the sickest I've ever been in my life," said Richards.
He still needs to regain the 20 pounds of muscle he lost during the illness but, he said playing at zones in Williams Lake he was finally able to regain some of his old form.
"The first game back in the men's league I was really groggy and I wasn't myself, even my parents were noticing," said Richards. "In Williams Lake it all came back together. I felt natural again."
The Kodiaks earned the trip to Aldergrove by knocking off Quesnel 4-1 and Williams Lake 2-1 at the zone tournament.
The 18 year old said he's looking forward to seeing how his new teammates match up against the teams in Vancouver this weekend.
"It is going to be a good experience for the new guys because us four or five from the select team know what it's like whereas they're not used to the competition so it's really going to be an eye opener," said Richards. "I'm going to do my best as a role model to make sure they understand what to do."
Ken Edzerza said when he agreed to return to coaching in the spring with the U18 Kodiaks he knew there would be unique challenges with players at different skill levels.
"Any team starts out with 'I want to play and I'm willing to learn,'" said Ken. "We had a core group where their challenge was different - Jonathan, Cheona, Nikola, Robby, Brett and Aidan Hooke - they were guys that know what it's like to play at a higher level. Their challenge was they had to raise their game even further, while house players had to bring their game up a level. The team came together and it was great.
"Part of the real key is each one of them have natural abilities and the real trick for me is to try and fill the holes in their skill, whether it's a thinking problem or a physical or motor skill thing," he added.
Coach Ken said the biggest change in the newcomers is in their decision-making time.
"In house you get like five seconds to make a decision whereas in rep soccer you've got maybe half a second to make a decision," he said. "You already have to know what you're doing before the ball gets to you."
For Joseph Pettorosso playing with the Kodiaks after six years in the house league has increased his love of soccer.
"The kids know what they're doing," said Pettorosso. "In house they just goof around all the time."
Pettorosso said working together as a team and communicating on the field are the biggest changes from what happens in house league.
Each player brings a different skill to the beautiful game, but Ken said each of his Kodiaks players has one thing in common.
"Their passion is involved in the game so I know they care about whether they get beat or not," he said.
