S P O R T S
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca DANIKA BIRCH CHASES HER SOCCER DREAM ALL THE WAY TO SPAIN or waiting on word about the Danone Nations Cup, Danika watched and cheered on her favourite teams during the FIFA World Cup series on television.
Next year Danika Birch will be feeling the heat on the soccer field in more ways than one, as she plays with the rest of Team Canada at the Danone Nations Cup youth soccer championship in sunny Spain. “It feels great!” said the 12-year-old soccer player, about making the cut for Team Canada’s entry in the tournament. “It’s incredible.” Birch has been kicking the soccer ball around since she was seven. She spent her first two years as part of the Rockland United Soccer Club’s U-program for mighty mites and peewees. For the past three years she’s been on the roster of the Cumberland Cobras youth soccer club, where she runs as a midfielder. “I really like soccer,” Birch said, adding that the more she plays, the more com- fortable she feels on the field. Her coach, Patrick Leduc, who was part of the selection committee for Team Canada, describes her as an amazing player. “She’s small, but she’s very energetic,” Leduc said, during a phone interview. “She’s a dynamo on the field, and off the field, she helps create the kind of (player) bonds that are necessary for a winning team.” Leduc noted that while small compared to most soccer players in her age group, Danika is quick with very good technical skills, all of which help against anyone who underestimates her because of her size. “She’s very crafty,” he said, with a chuckle. “She’s always busy on the ball.” Danone Nations Cup Birch made the cut for Team Canada after going through an intense selection process, involving competition tryouts at the regional and then the provincial levels before going on to the national camps. She admitted to being nervous about her chances of making the final lineup. “When I saw my name on the list, I was so happy,” she said. Now she is focused on improving her soccer skills, and maybe trying to learn a bit of Spanish. “I know a little bit,” she said, with a giggle. “¡Hola! ¿Como estas?” This past summer, when not playing with the Cobras, or practising her skills at home,
“At first I was cheering for Brazil,” she said. “When Brazil got knocked out, then I knew France was going to win, so I cheered for France. They were playing really well, and playing real smart, always keeping the ball in their possession.” Soon Danika will know what it’s like for the FIFA teams to play in an international tournament when she and her family arrive in Barcelona next year for the Danone Nations Cup. Coach Leduc described it as “the World Cup for 12-years-olds” but for Danika, it’s something even better, a step closer to maybe being part of a future Canadian Olympic champion soccer team. It could happen. “Your dreams can come true,” she said.
Danika Birch (deuxième à gauche), de Rockland, est ravie de faire partie d’Équipe Canada dans le cadre du championnat international de soccer junior de la Danone Nations Cup, qui aura lieu en Espagne en 2019. —photo fournie
Danika Birch of Rockland is working on both her Spanish and her soccer skills, in preparation for her entry into international competition next year in Spain, at the Danone Nations Cup championship youth soccer tournament. —photo provided
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