Katelyn "Jimmy" Wilton to don Caper orange next fall

Katelyn Wilton to don Caper orange next fall

Recruit to join sister, Ally, with CBU women's soccer

By Corey LeBlanc 

(Sydney, NS) - Since her earliest days on the pitch, most coaches and teammates – even parents – have known her as 'Jimmy.'

Katelyn Wilton doesn't mind the moniker – she even embraces it.

"A lot of people [in soccer] still don't know my real name," the 16-year-old says, with a hearty laugh.

She explains it all started when she was playing U4 soccer; her father answered 'Jimmy' when someone asked what his daughter's name would have been if she had been a boy. Before long, it was – more often than not – what she answered to on the field.

"I wasn't going to be 'Jimmy,'" Wilton notes of her father's fib, "but it stuck with me."

Another label the Grade 12 student at Charles P. Allen High School has recently acquired – and also welcomed – is being one of the latest recruits announced by the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers women's soccer program.

"It is an amazing feeling," Wilton says of having the chance to don Caper orange next fall.

Signing with CBU is the latest chapter in her soccer story that began as a four-year-old.

By the time she was 10, the two-sport athlete – Wilton also competed in gymnastics – decided to focus solely on soccer.

"I don't know," Wilton quips about what appealed to her about the sport.

Noting her passion for the game, she says she embraced its highly-competitive nature.

"I think my speed means a lot to my game," Wilton offers, when asked about her strengths.

Describing herself as "very physical," she notes that being a left-footed player is extremely beneficial.

A product of the Suburban Football Club, Wilton says she began to think that she had a bright future in the sport when she took the pitch with older players at the U12 level.

"I decided to stick with it and see how far I could go," she offers.

Wilton also credits her experience with the Canadian Soccer Association's Regional Excellence Program (REX) for contributing to her steady improvement.

When it came time to decide on where she would attend university – and, hopefully, play varsity soccer – she admits having the opportunity to suit up with her older sibling – Ally, a sophomore midfielder with CBU – carried great weight.

"It was probably the biggest factor," the younger sister informs.

Because of a more than three-year age difference, they have only played together once, and that was for part of one recreational league season.

Along with that sibling component, Wilton credits the connection that she has established with the Caper coach staff and student-athletes as another key ingredient.

"It is a family and not just a team," she says. 

And, of course, her older sister has shared many "great stories" about her CBU experience.

"I knew it was the place where I wanted to go," Wilton adds.

And veteran CBU head coach Stephen 'Ness' Timmons couldn't be happier.

"She is a quality young woman, and we are glad to have her join our program," he says.

Calling her "very coachable," Timmons adds that Wilton will be a "great fit."

He notes that the left-sided fullback has great range and good speed, explaining the value of her ability as "an overlapping attacking presence" – an attribute that is even more important, considering the way the game is now played.

"She's young, but – because of the aggressive, fast style that she plays – we expect her to quickly make the jump to the AUS level," Timmons says.

He also touches on the importance of the family connection, which Timmons believes will benefit that transition to university soccer.

"I think she is excited about having the chance to play with her sister," he says.

When she laces up her cleats in the AUS, the younger Wilton realizes players are going to be "bigger and stronger."

"It is going to be a big challenge," she says of making the jump to the university level.

With tireless work on improving her game, including using her right foot more, until she arrives at her first Caper camp in the summer of 2023, Wilton hopes to narrow the length of that leap.

Whether you call her Katelyn or 'Jimmy,' Wilton is prepared to put in the time and effort required to make a name in the AUS.

"I can't wait to get started."

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