MJ Andrus is a rising talent in the women’s soccer world, and with her recent invitation to the brand new Ontario REX Super Centre, the Grade 10 student is proving that she’s on the radar of Canada Soccer’s national program.
Andrus was selected this past fall, along with 28 other girls (U14 to U18), to enroll in the third Regional EXCEL (REX) Super Centre in Canada (this one in Markham, Ontario) where she will engage in a full-time program and train or play five days a week with the top youth talent in the province. The program launched in January 2018, and is run by national and internationally-licensed coaches. Andrus and her fellow players will attend Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham.
MJ’s soccer life began when she was 7 years old. She played two summers for Byron before competing for Lambeth and then moving on to train under Garrincha deFigueiredo for four years. She then left London to join the Ontario Player Development League and compete for Hamilton (the closest OPDL team to London). She has spent two summers in the league, and was named to Team Ontario last April.
A Byron Northview Public School student, Andrus attended Oakridge Secondary School for grades 9 and the first half of grade 10. Now, she’ll be heading to Bill Crothers S.S. (a sport high school). In addition to regular soccer training, she’ll also have two strength and conditioning sessions per week at the Canadian Sport Institute in Toronto.
It is certainly exciting times for Andrus, who plays both right and left wing (and can also play striker). In fact, she played attacking defense for Team Ontario, and has been considered a ‘hybrid player’ who is able to play many positions on the field. Having already, as a grade 10 student, been offered a ‘full ride’ scholarship to Michigan State for soccer starting in the fall of 2020, now Andrus will take the next step in soccer in this country and hope to climb the rungs of Canada Soccer’s system.
Contributions by Tracey Andrus
