PLAYERS TO WATCH: SURF SC’s ELYSE WATERHOUSE

Elyse Waterhouse Successfully Does Double Duty – Plays Goalkeeper and Field Player

San Diego Surf SC Girls ECNL Academy U14 player, Elyse Waterhouse is a goal scoring field player and a goalie with a record for shutouts. Waterhouse splits her time between protecting the net and being on the field scoring for her team. What makes this player so special? We asked her youth soccer coach to tell us!

Youth Soccer News: Seth Trembly, Cal South Competitive Coach of the Year has coached Elyse Waterhouse for two years at San Diego Surf Soccer Club.  What first struck this former professional soccer player — who spent six years playing in the MLS (Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids) — was Waterhouse’s ability to play on the field and play in goal as goalie on a high-powered, elite ECNL team.

Did developing as a young player with soccer so ingrained enable Waterhouse to realize that the sky is the limit in the game she loves? According to Coach Trembly, “Waterhouse can do things that some girls rarely try – such as a bicycle kick, which is rarely seen in girls soccer. She is a brave player who makes great saves and an impact player on the field who scores goals.”

It is rare that a youth soccer player at this age plays two positions – performing equally well at both. In today’s highly competitive youth soccer world where nearly 100% of ECNL players go on to college, “The mold is that players have to specialize –but what makes Waterhouse so special is that she doesn’t prefer one position over another – and plays both well.”

“Waterhouse plays as a goalie in the first half of an ECNL match and then we use her on the field during the second half,” said Trembly whose team this year went undefeated in 18 ECNL games.

“The team won the 2014 US Youth Soccer National championship and the players she is competing against for field time are in the national pool,” said Trembly, who refers to Waterhouse as a big-time goal scorer who has contributed to the teams overall success.

In case you are wondering, yes, this is very unusual.  Trembly admits this is very unique and said, “I have never had a player at this level who has been able to do play two positions consistently. This will be unheard of, if she can continue this in college.”

Waterhouse, who has an international background and has spent years in Manchester, England, grew up in a world immersed in soccer culture. A smart player who has a vision for the game, 14-year-old Waterhouse is a long-time student of the game. “It is obvious that she has been watching soccer matches for a long time,” said Coach Trembly. Waterhouse’s father is from Manchester, England and the family traveled back to visit family and toured the City Academy with Gavin Makel, Head of the Man City Women’s Team.

San Diego Surf SC Girls ECNL Academy U14 Accomplishments include: