Vernon’s Maddy Laranjo plays a key role as a leader on a young UBC Okanagan Heat women’s Canada U-SPORTS soccer club.
Throw in her volunteer work outside the classroom, and Laranjo was a great choice for the team’s Leadership and Community Service Award.
The honour was handed out virtually in April as the school’s athletic department could not hold its annual year-end sports award banquet because of COVID-19.
Laranjo completed her third season with the Heat, coming back from a year where she red-shirted (took year off from soccer) due to injury. She is studying human kinetics.
The award is given to a player on the team that exemplifies leadership capacity on the pitch, the locker room, the community, or in the classroom.
Laranjo is involved with Motionball, a national non-profit group that empowers young Canadians to be leaders in their communities, raising funds and awareness for Special Olympics through integrated social and sporting events.
She joined the Heat with a strong soccer resumé. Laranjo played four seasons of high school with the Thompson Okanagan Football Club in the BC Soccer Premier League. She was a captain in her final year, named by her coaches and teammates.
Larangjo has also been a part of the Whitecaps Okanagan School Academy in Vernon, and coaches young soccer players.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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