Coupeville Sports

Kendra Warwick

Warwick (second from right) celebrates with her Islander teammates.

The Whidbey Islanders GU18 select soccer squad, which brings together players from all three Island high schools, returns to action in December. This is one in a series of articles on the girls who proudly wear the jersey.

Kendra Warwick is a young woman of many interests, of which soccer is just one.

“Outside of soccer I like to be sassy, go hiking with my mommy, watch hockey, spend time with family and friends, and I really enjoy eating,” she said. “In school, my favorite class is math — when I understand.”

The South Whidbey High School sophomore, who plays center mid and defense for the Islanders, still finds a lot of time to spend on the soccer pitch, however. In many ways, she’s lived there since she was 10.

It was then that she made the leap from rec soccer (where she started at age five) to playing for select teams, joining a squad in Mill Creek.

“I decided to take my soccer playing to the next level and I played for Evergreen for two years,” Warwick said. “In those two years I think I grew the most.

“I had a coach who pushed me to limits I didn’t know I had. He expected nothing but the best from me,” she added. “Looking back now he is my all-time favorite coach.

She went on to play an additional two years after her squad joined forces with another one, than sat out a season before being lured back by the chance to guest play for various squads.

After bouncing around with Snohomish, Northwest Nationals, Rush and then Whidbey, she decided to make the deal permanent and joined the Islanders full-time last year. It was a perfect fit.

“The Islanders accepted me right away and made me feel like I had been a part of the team for years,” Warwick said. “This team is by far my most favorite team. We go through ups and downs but we always come out better than before.

“Sean (LeVine) and Scott (Rosenkranz) are the most caring coaches I have ever had. They care about the all-around player, not just the soccer aspect,” she added. “We are expected to do well in academics and have a good attitude on and off the field, whether we are with the team or without. I think that’s really cool.”

Whether she’s playing for the Islanders or with the Falcons during the high school season, Warwick is a warrior on the pitch.

“I like soccer for the competitiveness and the physical and mental strength you have to have to even compete,” she said. “I also like the feeling of accomplishment when I beat the opposing team, or achieve one of my goals.”

Warwick picks “having good vision on the field and having good ball placement” as her strengths, while she continues to fine-tune her game, with the goals of “winning the ball out of the air and having more confidence in front of the net.”

Win or lose, she knows that she can look in the stands and know that her biggest fans will always be there for her.

“My inspiration and biggest supporters without a doubt are my parents. Without them I would not be who I am today,” Warwick said. “They have taught me to go for my dreams and when I feel like giving up that’s when I need to put my heart in it the most.

“They have always kept me humbled by not talking me up too much and letting me know there is always something I could do to improve,” she added. “They have sacrificed a lot for me so I can make it to practices and live a pretty easy life. I don’t know what I would do without them; they are the ones I fall back on.”

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The many faces of Vivien Valles, captured in a photo collage she created.

The Whidbey Islanders GU18 select soccer squad, which brings together players from all three Island high schools, returns to action in December. This is one in a series of articles on the girls who proudly wear the jersey.

Vivien Valles has been on a lot of soccer teams. A lot.

“I’ve always played high school, recreational and select soccer. Every year,” Valles said. “I’ve been on so many different teams, I can’t even remember all the team names!”

The Oak Harbor High School junior first picked up the sport when she was five, playing rec soccer until joining an academy team, the NWSC “Breakers,” at eight.

After that came select soccer play with the Islanders, but, regardless of the team jersey she’s wearing, one thing is certain for the outside midfielder. She’ll always be in the middle of the action, a huge smile on her face as she dazzles opponents.

“What I enjoy about soccer is every bit of it!,” Valles said. “The sport in general and the people you meet along the way. You make lifetime friends and memories.”

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Ayla Muller

Soccer stars (l to r) Micky LeVine, Muller, Julia Myers, Becca Pabona and Suzanne Kaltenbach.

The Whidbey Islanders GU18 select soccer squad, which brings together players from all three Island high schools, returns to action in December. This is one in a series of articles on the girls who proudly wear the jersey.

Ayla Muller is keeping a family tradition alive.

The Oak Harbor High School sophomore, who has battled through a knee injury which has limited her time on the field, follows in the footsteps of her mother when she steps on the soccer pitch.

“My mom use to play soccer and when I was little she was like the best player out there,” Muller said. “She’s always supporting me; she comes to every game and cheers for me.”

Muller picked up the game at an early age, first putting foot to ball when she was just four. After playing for a club team (KYX) in Florida, she joined the Islanders after her family moved to Whidbey.

Since joining Sean LeVine’s roster, Muller has been an indispensable jack of all trades, playing wherever she is needed at the moment.

“I play every position except defense!” she said.

The friendly, out-going booter, who picks market management as her favorite class at OHHS, works hard at fine-tuning her game, when her knee allows it.

“I’d like to work on calming down when I get the ball and skill work,” she said.

Muller’s love of soccer perfectly dovetails with her appreciation for family.

When not playing, she can often be found at the drive-in with one of her two families, the one that she lives with or the second one she has found on the playing field.

“I like the fact it’s a team sport,” Muller said. “I love having a family that will always be there for me.”

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