Meet your captain

Samantha Kell named captain of the women’s soccer team

By Davie Wong, Sports Editor

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been a year since the Royals’ women’s soccer team’s historic run to Nationals. With the season quickly approaching, there are certain formalities that need to be taken care of. For coach Chris Laxton and his team, this means picking a new captain to lead them since both of last year’s captains have moved on.

For Laxton the choice was clear, so he called upon third-year veteran Samantha Kell. The 1996-born midfielder was a key part of last year’s team and is no stranger to Laxton’s system.

One way or another, much of Kell’s life has been involved with soccer. She has played soccer for 16 years and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “Soccer will always be a part of my life whether I am playing or coaching, and I never plan on giving that up. I guarantee you will always find me on a field.

“My personal goals for soccer have always stayed the same. No matter what team I’m playing for, my goal is to make a difference. There’s a quote I often look to for inspiration: ‘Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they’ll remember the name on the back’ (Tony Adams). Every time I step on that field I am playing for my school, for the former and future Royals athletes, and for my team. As long as I continue to play with the same passion I played with when I was 10 years old, I will have achieved my goal.”

Despite last year’s success, Kell is looking for something more. “This is a completely different team from last year, you can’t deny that, but that doesn’t mean we are expecting anything less. Last season our team made history, and I know that all the girls returning from last year, including myself, are ready to build off of those results. I think I speak for the team when I say that we want to continue making history and will settle for nothing less.” It’s a big goal that the team has set, but no matter what happens, Kell can be sure that she has the support of her teammates, who have backed her as their captain since the announcement.

When talking about her appointment, Kell did not shy away from the responsibilities that come with it. “I have had so many inspirational leaders in my life and my teammates the last two years at Douglas. Being one of the seniors this year my goal is to inspire the team just as my former teammates inspired me.”

This year will be a test for the Royals. The saying goes, the only thing harder than winning a title, is defending it. But Kell believes the team is more than ready to defend their provincial banner. “I think last year definitely provided us with a certain level of confidence. Going into this season we are the team to beat and we are all aware that this is not the time to sit back. This is our time to push harder and prove to everyone that our successful season was not a fluke.” A second banner win in a row would certainly solidify the Royals as one of the premier soccer programs in the PACWEST.