Chilliwack FC alum Jordyn Huitema is the youngest of 22 players attending a Canadian national women's soccer training camp in Los Angeles.
The camp started today and finds 15 year old Huitema sharing the pitch with the best women's player in Canadian history, 33 year old Christine Sinclair.
The camp roster is a mix of veterans and youngsters like Huitema who are rising up as the next wave through the EXCEL development program.
After Huitema, the next youngest player in LA is a 16 year old from Victoria. There are three 17 year olds, one 18 and one 19.
“This training camp is an important step for us as we are at the beginning of a four-year cycle that will culminate at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so we are keen to use this time to assess both existing and new players coming up through our EXCEL development pathway,” head coach John Herdman said in a Canada Soccer release. “This camp is about introducing and evaluating those players, physically testing the core squad, and creating connections both on and off the pitch.”
The national team has recently seen the retirement of three important players; striker Melissa Tancredi and defenders Rhian Wilkinson and Marie-Eve Nault.
Canada is currently fourth in the FIFA’s world rankings after winning bronze at last summer's Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
With a strong showing at the Los Angeles camp, Huitema may have a chance to play with Sinclair when Canada hosts Mexico in a friendly at B.C. Place Feb. 4.
It will be the final home match for the retiring players and a potential chance for Huitema to shine.
“Many of the young players coming into this camp have just experienced FIFA youth international competition, so bringing them into the Women’s National Team environment now continues their development and gives them more opportunities to grow as players within the Canadian system,” Herdman said. “Giving young players this experience is an important part of their development and provides a critical assessment touch point for our technical staff.”
Huitema plays with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex program.