Jazmine Wilkinson, one of the leading goal scorers on the women's team, gave us the low-down on her experience playing for U20 national teams in high school. Read all about it below!
Originally from Nanaimo, she played for Vancouver Island Premier League's Storm and BC Soccer Premier League's Wave in high school. From her performances on those teams, she was presented with the opportunity to train and play for the Whitecaps REX development program, and ultimately the national team. She currently plays NCAA Division 1 soccer for Texas A&M University.

When did you start playing with the National team?
My first national team call up was in 2018, my grade 11 year in high school when I made the U17 women’s World Cup held in Montevideo, Uruguay. I remember I was very shocked to make the roster since I had only been in the REX program* for a couple months and had never gotten a prior call up to any camps. We ended up placing 4th but it was an experience of a lifetime.Â
*The REX program is a Whitecaps academy program that is partnered with BC Soccer for U14-18 girls. It is a development program that acts as a feeder system to Canadian National teams, the Whitecaps development program, and ultimately the MLS.
Describe any games that stood out to you or really defined your experience.
A game that stood out to me was our game against Cuba in 2020 for the U20 women’s World Cup qualifiers in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I scored 2 goals within 2 minutes and got an assist that led us to the semi finals of the tournament. I was later nominated for U20 player of the year.
Any cool stories from your experiences?
An interesting story was that the qualifiers took place right before the pandemic hit and we almost didn’t make it home before the borders closed for travel.Â
What opportunities did playing for the national team open up for you? How has it affected your soccer career?
Playing for the national team opened up lots of opportunities. As soon as I got my first call up, college coaches started showing lots of interest.
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