Soccer or basketball? Connor Lewis’ destiny has been decided after putting pen to paper in committing to his hometown UNBC Timberwolves.
The 18-year-old will take the pitch in green and gold after graduating from Duchess Park Secondary this year, and will also join his older brother Graeme on the roster and coached by his father Rob at the Prince George post-secondary.
“It’s going to be fun,” Lewis said in a team release, a year after his father coached his U-18 Impact squad to a bronze medal as hosts of the 2019 Provincial ‘B’ Cup tournament.
“I am used to playing with my Dad coaching someway. I haven’t gotten many opportunities to play with my brother, but hopefully it’ll be fun. I’ve been watching them since I was young, and the leaps they have been taking the last couple years; it is constantly improving. I am excited. It has been going uphill ever since I was young.”
.@PGYSA U18 Impact goals against Langley this AM came Connor Lewis, a rebound off a cornerkick, & @UNBCMSoccer commit Demian Dron, a tip-in from an outside feed 🚨 | #CityOfPG @1BCSoccer @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/EqomWh6LE0
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) July 5, 2019
While he’s an offensive force on the field, Lewis was also a big threat on the court in playing for the Duchess Park senior boys’ basketball team.
He stands at six-foot-three and crashed the boards with 32 rebounds for the Condors at the 2020 B.C. AAA provincial championships in Langley, even earning an all-star nod.
Lewis and DPSS made the gold medal game, but fell 79-67 at the hands of G.W. Graham.
“Basketball and soccer are two good crossover sports,” he explains.
“My soccer helped with my footwork in basketball, and my basketball helped with my versatility in soccer. I always had an amazing experience playing basketball. I was blessed with amazing coaches and teammates, and it was awesome. That carries over to soccer; the team mentality and working towards a common goal.”
Lewis has experience playing with current T-Wolves’ Demian Dron and Julian Daduica through their years together with the Impact and Prince George Youth Soccer Association (PGYSA).
However, he understands making the jump to Canada West, one of the highest levels of university soccer in the country, can be a bigger challenge than meets the eye.
“I think I have pretty decent skill, and control with the ball. I have good fundamentals. I am also tall and can use my body and strength. It’s a pretty good combination. I think playing at a faster pace is something I need to work on. It is just such a jump. A consistent level of play. I need to work on that, just being able to handle that pressure.”
Choosing soccer over basketball has a difficult choice, but Lewis is also in the middle of making an academic decision while in the UNBC classroom.
He says he eventually wants to pursue clinical psychology or law.
