Although she's only 15 years old, Jessica Sharik is padding her soccer resume in preparation for college. After all, telling NCAA Division I recruiters that you made the National Olympic Development Program is sure to turn their heads. Last fall, Sharik, a sophomore on the Norwin High School varsity soccer team, was one of 40 girls nominated for the Regional Olympic Development Program after tryouts. In January, she traveled to California to try out for the national program. Of the 264 girls who tried out for the national team, Sharik was one of the 22 girls selected. Two other girls chosen for the regional team from the PA West Program also advanced to the national team with Sharik. Ironically, it was through one of the other players that Sharik learned of her place on the national team. "Our computer is down so I didn't have Internet access," she said. "One of the girls called me and told me they posted the roster on their Web site and that we were on it." But Sharik said she was afraid she didn't have a chance. The camp consisted of six teams playing one another, culminating with a selected-pool game on the last day of the camp. Generally, that is where the best players are identified and tapped for positions on the national team. Forty-four players from the camp participated in that game. Unfortunately, Sharik, who was invited to play in the selected-pool game, was unable to participate because of a bad ankle sprain sustained during the last preliminary game. "I thought not being able to play in the selected-pool game killed my chances of being selected to the national team," she said, "but they picked me anyhow." Since the injury, Sharik has been working with physical therapists to rehab her ankle and hopes to begin working out again soon. In addition, she helps Bruce Wiancko, the girls in-house coordinator for the Norwin Soccer Club, run clinics for beginning players. Norwin Soccer Club is where Sharik got her first taste of the game as a 6 year old. "This is the highest level any girl has gone from North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District," Wiancko said. Sharik said making the national team has helped her self-confidence. "I know I can go to a better college for soccer and be able to look into more scholarships," she said. Right now, she has her eye on West Virginia University or Penn State University. As a high school sophomore, though, she has plenty of time for that decision. So where does she go from here? Sharik is already a member of the Cup team for Penns Forest and the varsity team at Norwin High School. She said her appointment to the national program will not interfere with those responsibilities. The national program coach is attempting to organize a camp at the Home Depot Center in California at the end of this month, which would require a week or so of her time during the year. Sharik's Penns Forest Super Y Coach Rege Schuchert said that in the 15-20 years he's been coaching, he's seen maybe half a dozen girls who are Sharik's caliber of player. On his team, he said she "creates a lot of the goals and scores most of them." But Schuchert said Sharik is in good company because of the talent that surrounds her on the Super Y team. Of his current roster, he sees eight to 10 members playing at the Division I level. "There's a fine line between the ones that make it and the ones that just missed [the national team]," he said. "We're talking about maybe a tenth of a second too slow and one of them wouldn't get in." As for Sharik, Schuchert said her speed and strength are what got her the looks from the national coaches. She always had speed, but when she was younger, she was considered a smaller player; now she's getting the muscle to go with the speed, he said. Sharik also helps Schuchert run clinics for the younger girls in the Norwin Soccer Club. "She helps with training and tries to give back to the club where she started," he said. "Since she plays for Norwin's varsity team, (the younger players) come and watch her play." Schuchert said the only thing she needs to watch out for is that all her success doesn't go to her head, although judging by her personality that shouldn't be a problem. Wiancko agreed, describing her as a true team player who is "an inspiration to the girls in our soccer program." "She's a character," Schuchert said. "I've never had a problem with her; but she's not shy, that's for sure. She's very outgoing. She's definitely a character."

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