Richmond soccer standout Emma Kallner is one of two recipients of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s Jack Farley Youth Achievement Award as she progresses through the next chapter of her career with the UBC Thunderbirds.
The Hugh Boyd secondary graduate was honoured at last week’s B.C. Sports Hall of Fame Banquet of Champions in Vancouver.
The award is annually presented to one outstanding male and one outstanding female amateur athlete graduating from a B.C. secondary school. They not only must excel in their particular sport but exemplify the values, commitment and contribution to the community held by Jack Farley, an honoured member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Winners receive $2,000, which is to be applied to their education at a post-secondary institution in B.C.
Kallner has played minutes on the UBC back line in four of six games so far this season.
She will be reuniting with her Coastal F.C. teammates next week for the U18 National Club Championships which will take place at South Surrey Athletic Park over the Thanksgiving Weekend.
Kallner spent the latter stages of her youth career playing for former Whitecaps F.C. women’s coach Bob Birada — first with a successful Tsawwassen based Metro team, then more recently with Coastal in the B.C. Premier Soccer League.
Coastal won the Premier Provincial Cup the past two seasons and went on to finish fourth at the 2013 nationals which took place in Newfoundland. This time, they will have to overcome the challenge of not playing together since last June with many moving onto the university level.
Kallner began playing organized soccer when she was four and her development was enhanced by working with a number of local coaches — including Dave Partridge, Clive Clarke and her father Jonathan Kallner — along with B.C. Soccer provincial team staff.
Corner kicks...
Kallner is one of two Richmond players on the UBC roster. Third-year midfielder Amrit Berar is the other. She graduated from McNair.
