PUHI — Chance Bukoski, a soccer player, had reason to smile at the Kaua‘i Cup where he was one of the junior referees. Bukoski had just returned from Oregon where he was selected as one of the Top 48 players
PUHI — Chance Bukoski, a soccer player, had reason to smile at the Kaua‘i Cup where he was one of the junior referees.
Bukoski had just returned from Oregon where he was selected as one of the Top 48 players to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Regional Soccer Pool. In qualifying for the selection, Bukoski joins Cody Felipe of Maui as the only two from the state of Hawai‘i to make the regional pool, the selection coming from entrants of 14 states that make up the ODP Region.
Frank Bukoski, Chance’s father, was proud of his son’s accomplishment, noting that “Chance’s hard work paid off. He practices (soccer) every day — even if he has to practice by himself.”
As testiment to his dad’s description, Chance was playing with the soccer ball as he made his way to the field he was to referee at.
Kevin Devitt, one of Chance’s coaches, said, “He’s done good things for everyone, and now he’s going to do good for himself.”
Devitt added that Bukoski is just the first, hoping that some of the current players that are in mock camp on the mainland will also make the cut for their age divisions.
As a member of the Regional Pool, Chance says he will have an opportunity to try out for the National Pool come November when he will be travelling to Costa Rica, Italy, Germany, France, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.
Chance said that although his family will have to pay a portion of the expenses involved in the National tryouts, ODP will be paying for most of the expenses.
He feels that he has a good chance of making the cut for the National Pool, but just has to stay healthy.
In the meantime, as his game drew closer, he smiled and said, “I’d rather be playing.”
