Kelowna Christian School grad Angelia Ostrom will stay at home this coming season to play with the UBC Okanagan women’s soccer program.
Since taking up the sport at age 10, Ostrom has compiled a solid resume, including leading her Kelowna United teams to back-to-back provincial silver medals in 2012 and 2013.
A striker, she has played with Thompson Okanagan FC since 2014.
Relationships and education were keys in Ostrom’s decision to continue with her soccer career at the Okanagan campus.
“I chose UBCO for two reasons,” Ostrom said. “One, because of the relationship I built with the coaches of my future soccer team. I’ve had them as mentors for the past two years as they have coached and trained my TOFC soccer team. Their philosophy of having fun, enjoying the game and at the same time, learning and growing as a player, is what has kept me passionate about soccer.
“Secondly, UBCO has a great reputation as being one of the best schools. They have a large variety of programs and exactly what I was looking for.”
In the classroom, Ostrom will go into the Bachelor of Arts, then Business Management as her family has a history in business.
University athletics runs in the family, as her dad played rugby for Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia and was selected to play for Canada’s national team. Her brother is currently playing baseball for a university in the U.S.
A well-rounded recruit and one that will fit in with the UBC Okanagan commitment to community Ostrom learned those values in January of 2016, when she got the opportunity to travel to India. It was a mission’s trip with Kelowna Christian School.
“We traveled all around India,” she said. “It was truly a culture shock for me. I learned so many life lessons during that trip. It made me realize that by putting others first, you become more aware of others and less focused on yourself. It made me reflect back on my life and how much I take for granted.”
The Heat coaching staff has been working hard in the off-season, adding depth and talent to the squad. Both head coach Craig Smith and assistant Carli Tingstad were pleased with the commitment from the former TOFC player.
“We are really looking forward to adding some local talent to our roster and working with Ang. We are excited about what she will bring to the university as a person and as an athlete.”