Name one or two of your most influential players?


When I first started playing for Overdrive, my coaches were Carla DiFilippo and Erica Tucker. They have been the most influential for me because they helped me develop from the start.


Can you tell me about your experience playing on the mixed national team (U24) and junior women’s national team (U20)? In 2014, I was able to make the U19 Women’s Team Canada and had to opportunity to compete at the World Championships in Lecco, Italy. This was my first experience playing at an international level and I was excited to get the chance to play with girls from across Canada. It was amazing to play with such talented players, and I learned a lot from the experience. One moment I will never forget is our semi-final game against Colombia. At half time, we were down 6-9 and felt deflated, until we heard the booming cheers from the U19 men’s team entering the stadium, cheering C-A- N-A-D-A. We were able to elevate our game, and ended up winning on a universe point.


Last summer, I was given the chance to play for the U23 Mixed Team Canada. Although I played U19 the year before, this was a completely new experience. It was my first time playing competitive mixed ultimate and I had to adjust my game to match the team. I loved playing with all my teammates and learned a lot from the highly experienced players like the Hatch sisters. The best part about this national team was the team dynamic; always dancing, joking around and motivating each other, the team was a lot of fun to be a part of.


Any ultimate goals?


My most prominent goal currently is to win a gold medal with this year’s U20 Women’s Team Canada at the World Championships in Poland!


Laura Kinoshita and her coach, Carla DiFilippo share an embrace after an emotional gold medal match agains the United States in Lecco at the 2014 World Junior Ultimate Championships.


P. LAURA KINOSHITA (contributed photo)


Ultimate Canada Magazine - www.canadianultimate.com P. NANCY PATRY


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