Rita Jones – an independent young woman

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, January 4, 2006

“I’ve been playing pick-up soccer games with boys since I was 11-years-old,” said South Whidbey High senior Rita Jones. “My favorite times have been playing soccer.”

Soccer, and a lot more.

Besides being named the 2005 Cascade Conference soccer Defensive Player of the Year, she was elected homecoming princess — “It was really a great honor and I feel blessed to have been chosen” — and Jones also played trombone in the South Whidbey High band, served as ASB executive treasurer, and achieved a 3.89 cumulative grade point average over the last four years.

But it is the game of soccer that commands her attention: “It’s just thrilling; the tempo is fast, it never stops; soccer is continually amazing and fun to play.”

Jones was born in Seattle, but moved to South Whidbey before her first birthday. Part of her independent character can be explained by the fact she is the youngest of five.

Another factor is the loss of her mother three years ago, an event that changed her view on life.

“Losing my mother affected how I treat people around me and I became really good friends with my dad,” she said. “And I think I grew up very fast as a result.”

Jones said her education on the island has prepared her for life after South Whidbey High School.

“There are great teachers here,” she noted. Mark Eager’s advanced placement U.S. History is her favorite, but she likes earth science, ceramics and photography as well. As for her future plans, Jones is looking at Christian liberal arts colleges and will apply at Western Washington University and Oregon’s Lynnfield College.

She’s not sure what she’ll study but agrees college is the place to find out.

When not kicking the ball around, she enjoys reading with “The White Oleander,” “Catcher in the Rye” and “The Fixer” at the top of her list.

“And the Harry Potter series, of course,” she adds.

Snowboarding, shopping and “hanging out with Kaylee (Baldwin)” are a few of her main non-school activities.

Musically, she favors alternative rock from Death Cab for Cutie and Coldplay, very little of which can be found in the Falcon’s songbook. But as band teacher Chris Harshman says, “She approaches her musical work with the same intensity as her sports.”

“She’s focused, dedicated, confident, and willing to stretch to meet new challenges,” Harshman added.

“When I discovered Rita had never taken a solo in a Jazz Band performance, I decided to feature her on lead trombone as well as an improvised solo. Her response was fantastic; she practiced and prepared her part outside of class and came to each rehearsal with wonderful improvements. It was very gratifying to see her develop so quickly and perform so well at the Northshore Jazz Festival. Rita was a highlight to our performance. Rita rocks!”

Jones responded by noting, “I love the slide, it makes an awesome sound.”

To make sure she stays in tune with soccer, Jones plays year-round on the Silver Lake Fusion Premier team. “Twice a week, Rita would finish practice with us, take the ferry and practice another two hours with her club team,” said Falcon soccer coach Paul Arand.

Arand had great praise for Jones’ skills as a player. “Rita’s speed allows her to win possession of the ball and clear it from the defensive zone with authority. She can read her opponent’s plays and make short, sure passes to her teammates,” he said.

Asked to recall Jones’ highlight as a soccer player, Arand told this story: “In 2003, when our team was still undefeated at 19-0, we had given the difficult assignment of playing our state quarterfinal game at Doc Harris Stadium, just north of the Columbia River. After a five-hour bus trip, we had a tough game against a strong, disciplined Ridgefield team. The action went back and forth without any score.

“Then, late in the game, Rita kicked a 50-yard ball, which bounced over the Ridgefield goalkeeper’s head and Claudia Gil-Osorio finished for the goal,” Arand recalled. “Rita’s timely kick helped launch us into the state finals.”

Just before the winter break, the Associated Press named Jones to the first-team All-State team for 3A schools, the first time any Falcon athlete has been so honored.

All in all, it was a perfect note to end on.