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Just For Kicks
ROMY Trigg-Smith had a cold and did not feel that great when she flew to Tucson, Ariz., during Thanksgiving vacation to play for the West team in the InterRegional Competition. Trigg-Smith selected
for national poolAfter one training session and matches against the other three regional teams, she returned home and waited.
Trigg-Smith had finished the third and final step in a process United States Soccer Federation coaches use in making selections for this year's Under 16 National Player Pool.
She began the process at the Olympic Development Program Region IV Camp last summer in Laramie, Wyo., playing for Hawaii's ODP U15 team.
Trigg-Smith's performance there earned her an invite to a special camp with two-hour training sessions twice a day for select players in Portland, Ore., at the end of August.
About Dec. 15, a letter arrived from the USSF informing her she was a member of the National Player Pool.
"It was immediate shock," the Punahou sophomore said. "I didn't really believe it at first and don't think I will until I play with them.
"I was excited just to be on the regional team in the first place. On the plane to Tucson, I was thinking I'm just going to have fun with the team."
Two weeks ago, she received a certificate from the USSF confirming once again that she's in the National Player Pool.
TRIGG-SMITH is eligible to be called for duty with the national team for a year.
"There are ongoing events and if she's not called to one doesn't mean she won't be called for another. She just has to stay ready," said Kevin Boyd, an ODP coach and head women's coach of the California Bears.
"We played Romy in a defensive center midfield position. The traits she showed so well were the ability to possess the ball and her composure under pressure at that level. It's a rare trait at the younger ages. It is probably Romy's strongest trait. That's what earned her a closer look. And, I think she's just a dynamite player."
Boyd was one of the evaluators at the Hawaii ODP camp and coached Trigg-Smith's regional team.
"I was impressed with her personality and ability to playmake," he said. "The ball comes through her quite a bit . She does a great job of taking the ball from one side of the field to the other. She was a great link for us.
"And, it almost wasn't, because of her not being sure she should attend the regional camp. My recommendation was I thought she should make it a priority. I hope everyone in Hawaii realizes there is a reward if they can go."
UH recruiting finished
PINSOOM Tenzing completed his recruiting for the coming season with the signing of Arlene Devitt and Elizabeth Lusk.Devitt is a 5-foot-8 striker from Kapaa High School who played center attacking midfield with the West Regional ODP team that toured Germany two summers ago.
Lusk is a 5-7 midfielder from San Diego who was a member of the Southern California ODP team last year.
"Lusk is a tremendous athlete with tremendous jumping ability," said Tenzing, the Hawaii Wahine head coach. "We went after three recruits and signed two. I'm happy with that result."
Devitt made recruiting trips to California and New Mexico, but said it came down to UH. "I just wanted to be a Wahine," she said.
Devitt had anterior collateral ligament surgery on her right knee last summer and did not play her senior year at Kapaa.
She has recovered, is running again and will play for the East Side girls team this summer.