There is a single-minded focus that one can't escape when talking to Lockerby Vikings soccer star Andrew Park - soccer is an all-consuming passion for the gifted young athlete. "I just love playing soccer" says Park in stating the obvious. While he has dabbled with other sports throughout his youth, "I've always known that I have enjoyed soccer more for my entire life" noted Park, who continued to participate in track and field during his high-school years.

Football enjoyed only a single year trial run with Park after a broken ankle sustained while playing Joe Mac football steered him clear of the gridiron. Born in Brantford, the bulk of Park's career as an athlete has occured in Sudbury, where his family moved when he was five. After three years within the Sudbury Panhellenic organization, Park made the move to Italia Flyers, where he has played for the past 6 or 7 years, looking forward to joining the Premier division team on a full-time basis this summer.

Known for his talent around the net, Park considers himself more of a pure striker, although he roams the midfield for the first-place Vikings soccer squad. "There's a whole lot more running when playing midfield" laughs Park, explaining the not-so-subtle difference in approaching the two positions. As a pure goal scorer, it is of little surprise that some of Park's favourite memories of the sport involve scoring in a sport where almost every goal is huge.

Just two years ago, it was Park who netted the overtime winner against perpetual rival St Charles College Cardinals to give Lockerby the junior city title. He also recalls a four-goal game that helped his team overcome a 5-3 deficit to win in a shootout. The game actually saw Park net a fifth goal but he notes that "you really can't count the goals scored in the penalty shootout". Given the number of times his shots find the back of the netting, he may well not count penalty shot goals...but I certainly would!

Many high-school soccer observers have tagged Lockerby as the school to beat in senior boys action this year and Park is not one to disagree. "I think if we keep playing like the way we have been playing to date, we should win the City and do well at NOSSA and hopefully OFSAA" states a confident Park. It's a self-confidence that has served the young soccer star well, a belief that he can score in many different situations.

While his post-secondary plans remain pretty straight-forward - "I just want to go play soccer somewhere" - Park realizes that his dream will likely take him back to southern Ontario, looking to play either varsity or semi-professional for his next step. But it's a step that remains clearly in focus for Park, amidst the backdrop of a soccer pitch.