Four girls start in Olympic soccer program

Four St. Charles County girls in the state's Olympic soccer program have some things in common. One is a very early start in their favorite sport.

Lisa Godfrey, Cassandra "CJ" Hoffman, Jessica Morelli and Lauren Capuano all started playing soccer when they were either 4 or 5 years old. They are all 6th graders now.

They also want their soccer playing to go on for a long time. They want college scholarships, pro soccer and the U.S. National Team.

Right now, they are on the first rung of the Missouri Olympic Development Program (ODP). They are among 59 girls on the 12-and-under state team. In their first year, all girls who applied were accepted.

But, starting next summer, the girls will compete for 30 spots on the state 13-and-under team. That competition for spots will continue at each age level through high school.

(To learn more about the ODP, you can log on to the Missouri Youth Soccer Association's website at: www.mysa.org.)

All of the St. Charles County girls believe they will make the cut next summer for the 13-and-under team.

Twelve-year-old Lisa Godfrey is a 6th grader at Linda Vista Catholic School. She's a member on three other soccer teams this school year. She plays on a team in her Catholic parish and on a J.B. Marine select team.

She's also on a special 3-person team that will represent the St. Louis region in a national tournament in January. The 3V3 tournament will be played in Florida.

Lisa has a personal soccer trainer, Duane Kloeppel, to help her develop her skills. She's usually playing the "stopper" position at the point of her team's defensive alignment.

She said her best experience in soccer so far was when her J.B. Marine team won a big tournament in Ohio. "We beat the top three teams in Ohio, including the state champs in the finals," she said.

Her worst experience came in a summer camp in Maryville. She collided with a good friend and ended up with a broken arm. "But, I've come back stronger. That made me more determined," she said.

Twelve-year-old CJ Hoffman is a 6th grader at Francis Howell Middle School. She plays soccer with the Wolfpack select team.

Her worst experience in soccer also involved her health. That happened last year while she was playing in a state tournament in Columbia.

"I played for three days with pneumonia. I didn't know I had pneumonia but I was sick the whole tournament," she said.

CJ plays "sweeper" on defense. That's the last line of defense right in front of the goalie.

Twelve-year-old Jessica Morelli is the Wolfpack goalie. She's a 6th grader at Fort Zumwalt West Middle School. She plays other positions but likes goalie best. She said, "I've good hand-eye coordination. I'm good at anticipating the other team's shots."

She said she and CJ work well together in front of the goal.

The Wolfpack team will be traveling to Memphis, Tenn., this month for a tournament.

Eleven-year-old Lauren Capuano is a 6th grader at Hollenbeck Middle School in the Francis Howell district. She is center on the mid-field line for the Wolfpack. Her father, Bob, is the team's coach.

Lauren said her soccer strengths include dribbling and passing well. "And I can shoot pretty well and I can go the whole game without tiring," she said.

She is one of the girls whose long-term goal is to be a member of the U.S. National Team, that plays in the Olympics.

Jessica Morelli wants to play pro soccer. But, first, she'd like to go to college at the University of North Carolina. "That's where Mia Hamm teaches sometimes," she said. Hamm is one of the most popular players on the U.S. National Team.

Some of the girls already are attracting attention of soccer coaches in high school.

CJ Hoffman is scheduled to be a "team manager" for the junior varsity team at Francis Howell High School. That will give her a chance to be exposed to high school soccer without endangering her eligibility when she gets to high school.

She can be with the JV team when she's a 6th and 7th grader. But, when she's in 8th grade, she can't continue without losing her eligibility as a 9th grader.