Caledon SC star impressing Guyanese Senior National Team

March 10, 2022 · 0 Comments

By Robert Belardi

Anika Sproxton flew down to Guyana in the second week of February to join the senior women’s national soccer team.

She was no stranger to travelling to another country for soccer. With Caledon SC, she drove to New Jersey and Ohio for tournaments.

But this time, it was different for the 17-year-old, Brampton native, yet Sproxton, handled it like she handles every situation. She remained calm and was excited for what this opportunity would bring. She was also travelling to where part of her family is from. With Guyanese-Trinidadian background, this one hit home. When she arrived, everything panned out the way she had hoped.

“I met the team and it was absolutely awesome. What an experience. Everyone on the team took me in like I’m family. And I was the youngest one there, and they were all shocked,” Sproxton recalled.

“That was an absolute blast and my second-time flying alone. But this time I’m with my team. It was a cool experience to be flown out with your team. Definitely the relationships and bonds with these girls, will hopefully last a lifetime.”

She went everywhere with her teammates. If it was at 6:00 a.m. or 11:00 p.m. at night, everything she had done was with this group. It has played a role in her growth and her maturity, and it is something that head coach of the senior team Dr. Ivan Joseph immediately noticed.

“You usually don’t bring a 16 or 17-year-old into a senior national team. But every now and then you have some special people that are mature enough and physically capable enough,” said the Guyanese-born coach, who grew up in King City, Aurora and Maple, before returning home to manage the national side in 2018.

“It’s not just about technical skills that get you on a team. You have to fit in and carry yourself with the right maturation. You got women who are doctors and lawyers and engineers on this team. It’s really important how you cohesively fit, then you look at the skill set. And Anika has some great skills….But probably her biggest compliment is that she is both poised on the ball, meaning she doesn’t panic, and she’s really competitive. She’s driven to really be a professional and excel on and off the pitch.”

Sproxton grew up in a sports household. Her mother, Vadeo, was part of the Canadian National Cricket Team. Her father Roy, a lover of soccer and hockey. She also has an older and younger sister.

When she was three-years-old, Sproxton’s father motivated her to play soccer. He took her to every game. Even became her coach. She played house league in Brampton, before joining her first and only rep team in Caledon when she was nine.

At that time, her ambitions grew. She wanted soccer to be more than what it currently was. It was clear to anyone around her that she would begin to make this dream a reality.

Capable of playing in any position, Sproxton is a nightmare for any opposition. She can play anywhere from centre back to forward. It might be thanks to her love for other sports. Sproxton loves to ski, skate and run cross country. She will also join any school sport whenever possible.

“It’s really opened my mind. Just to see different sports and how they work and how you have to think on the fly. But as well as meeting different people that have different inputs on all these other sports, that you kind of take away from all of them. And you can implement them into your own sport,” Sproxton said.

“Every sport you see the way of learning and being outside your comfort zone makes you really grow.”

Thankful for her coach in Caledon, Giorgo Iannizzi, Sproxton plays five different positions a game. Her versatility is rare and it has garnered attention from those in Canada Soccer. Last December, Sproxton travelled out to Vancouver to join a Canada ID camp.

Inspired by another teammate trying to earn their Jamaican citizenship, it was then, that Sproxton researched the Guyanese national team and someone from Woodbridge was already there training.

“I said yeah, I definitely could play here. So, I contacted Giorgio the same day. I said ‘Hey, do you think it’s crazy if I wanted to play for the Guyanese national team?’ He said, ‘I have a contact. Let me hit him up now and we’ll get you a tryout.’ The next day, he said we got you a tryout,” Sproxton said.

Now, Sproxton is preparing to re-join the Lady Jags for CONCACAF qualifiers in April. The Jags are set to take on Nicaragua. With a win, Guyana will be set to take on Trinidad and Tobago on April 12. That matchup will be quite interesting, considering her family is from both nations.

Despite being on the team, Sproxton has yet to place her name on the official game roster. It’s not that she doesn’t want to play, the girls are itching for her to get on the pitch, but there is a limitation on how many games she can be a part of before she must fully commit. Once you play for one national team, you cannot play for another.

Sproxton’s dream is to play for Canada.

Also in April, Sproxton will be travelling to Dallas, TX, with Caledon SC for the Dallas Cup. She hopes to contact scouts from schools who will be attending to send video clips of her on the pitch.

Once this tournament concludes, she will travel to the Dominican Republic to join the U17 Guyanese women’s team for a tournament.

“On behalf of Caledon Soccer Club, we’re really proud to have a young lady like this, represent us at that level,” said Terry Maddison, Technical Director at Caledon SC. “To develop players to get them to that level, is a good testament to the club and our development process.”

Sproxton hopes that her story will inspire others in similar situations to chase their dreams.

She would like to thank her father, her mother, Coach Iannizzi and Dr. Joseph for all of their support thus far in her journey.

To keep up with Anika’s journey, you can follower her on Instagram @anika.sproxton and on Tik Tok @anikasproxton.