Angelo Kalonji is hardly the first local talent to be identified by the Ontario Soccer Association.

One year his elder, GSSC Impact clubmate Frank Nzotungwanimana travelled this same path one year ago, attending provincial tryouts north of Toronto.

Heck, Kalonji wasn't even the only player in his age group from Sudbury to make it through to his current stage of the process, joined in his efforts by long-time teammate Samuel Lazare.

Likewise, Kalonji is not breaking new ground when it comes to clearing several hurdles in the Ontario Basketball Association talent identification process - though making it right down to the very last stage of tryouts is awfully impressive.

In that sense, the Sudbury-born 15 year-old of Congolese descent is something of a local rarity, pursuing both options simultaneously and with a level of success that is not the norm for athletes from northern Ontario.

It speaks to the natural talent that jumped off the page at coaches when Kalonji first joined organized soccer around the age of five or six with the Sudburnia Soccer Club, and again later when he decided to test himself on the court as a member of the GSBA (Greater Sudbury Basketball Association) Storm.

A prolific goal scorer in his youth on the pitch, Kalonji has seen his game evolve substantially, though his clear-cut preference and the position for which he tried out for the provincial team remains as a forward (ideally a striker).

"When I was younger, I was often more athletically gifted than other kids that I was matched up against," noted Kalonji. "I could beat almost anybody just relying on my speed and my strength."

"The older I got, the more everybody that I played was gifted like me, stronger and faster."

For as much as basketball might become the sport of choice for Kalonji, long-term, this grade nine student at Collège Notre-Dame continues to work on bettering his particular skill-set in the "Beautiful Game".

"I work a lot on my footwork; footwork is very important in soccer," he said. "I need to be able to dribble while still looking up and seeing everybody, seeing if there is an open pass to make."

"I need to be able to dribble past my defender without just kicking the ball by him."

Not to mention understanding fully that a style of play that allowed pre-teen Angelo Kalonji to find the back of the net with ease is not likely to produce the same results if unaltered as the well-spoken young man takes to the field this summer as a member of the U16 Impact.

"I have to make good choices while I am under pressure," Kalonji explained. "If a defender is coming towards me and I think I can beat them but I see somebody (a teammate) that is in a better spot than me, that's open, I have to be able to make the right passes."

Down to the last few cuts for Team Ontario - basketball, Kalonji finds some similarities in terms of where growth must come from, even if he is dealing with a sport that is far newer to him.

"I got a lot better at dribbling and still being able to look and see if there is an open pass," he suggested. "For me, right now, it's about good passes and good choices and better basketball IQ."

The simple truth is that he has come a long, long way in a short period of time, welcoming basketball to the mix initially with little to no visions of grandeur.

"Our school (Ecole St Pierre) wasn't that big so I just ended up trying out for the team - and whoever signed up made the team," recalled Kalonji with a laugh, picking up the sport in grade seven.

"I was athletically gifted enough to play the game well, right from the start."

If the goal is to excel in Sudbury, playing well will do; but if you have bigger fish to fry, there are far more tools to be added to the toolbox.

"From when I started, I got tremedously better at using my left hand," said Kalonji. "And I need to focus more on shooting. It's always been part of the game that is harder for me."

Thankfully, in the Sudbury Storm, he found an outlet that opened his eyes to the level of basketball talent right across Ontario. More importantly, he found a mentor who could guide him along.

"Coach Syan (Syan Thompson) is very straight-forwrd and puts a lot of effort into our practices," said Kalonji. "He is very good at developing players. He helps us train and get better at what we what we want to get better at."

Regardless of the sport, improvement is key.

"I know that soccer is my first love, but I'm starting to lean more towards basketball," said Kalonji. "I think I have potential in both sports."

Apparently, he is not alone in that assessment.