Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – A product of an upbringing spent battling older, bigger brothers in a daily family basement soccer game, Kiann Bohnert grew to embrace the inherent physicality on the pitch.
That has the 6-foot Lethbridge native ready to pull off a rare feat; she is set to play her rookie U SPORTS season as a 16-year-old with the MacEwan Griffins women's soccer team.
Her '06 peers are ready to start Grade 11.
"We knew she was ahead in school," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro of Bohnert, who was home schooled and finished high school a year early. "We were targeting her for the 2005 class (the 2023 Canada West season), but she was able to get things completed ahead of time.
"We're super excited about Kiann. She's a special talent on and off the pitch."
It's possible Bohnert, who doesn't turn 17 until January, is the youngest women's soccer player in U SPORTS history, but no definitive records have been kept. There have been at least two instances of student-athletes in other sports competing as young as 15 – McGill men's soccer player Bruce Firestone (in 1966) and University of Calgary field hockey player Carolina Romeo (in 2005).
Bohnert is definitely the youngest U SPORTS student-athlete MacEwan has ever had.
And the wildest thing is she not only doesn't look out of place, she's shown signs in preseason she might be a difference-maker for the Griffins as early as this season.
"She brings a unique combination of size, strength, speed and athleticism," said Cordeiro of the holding midfielder/centre-back, who also has the capability to play forward. "Typically, someone who stands 6-feet tall isn't able to move the way that she moves. From that side of things, she's just an uber athlete and a special talent. She's a quality footballer."
Bohnert started her soccer journey with Lethbridge United before playing for Calgary-based clubs Southwest United and Calgary Blizzard before coming to MacEwan.
"I'm just excited to get going with her," said Cordeiro. "She's cut from a different cloth. She's a terrific person and player.
"She's young and it's going to take some time for her to understand the university level, so we can't get ahead of ourselves, but she brings a lot to the table, and I think she's going to be a very important piece to the puzzle for us."
An important part of the Griffins' culture is their unique support for rookies through their 'Big Sis, Little Sis' mentorship program and Bohnert stands to benefit from it. She will be paired with a veteran member of the team and will be able to lean on them for advice – crucial for a 16-year-old entering university.
"It's been a hit within the team," said Cordeiro. "Ten minutes before the start of every practice … they go into their 'Big Sis, Little Sis' groups. For 10 minutes, they walk the pitch and it's nothing about soccer. It's 'how's life, how are things going? What do you need?' They have a Big Sis away from home; they're there to help.
"It's been a part of our culture and what we do," he added. "It's really been something that's helped bring the team closer together and let them know the different resources available to them. They can relate and guide them in the right direction."
The Griffins are preparing for their Canada West season opener vs. cross-town rival Alberta on Friday (6 p.m., Clarke, Canada West TV – with a special pre-game ceremony starting at 4:45 p.m. to celebrate the team's 2021 U SPORTS Championship).
