KATIE MALLORY AT JUST A LITTLE OVER 5 FEET TALL, 12-YEAR-OLD KATIE MALLORY defines her strengths on and off the field not by her size but rather her natural skills. Her passion for the sport surpasses the average player of her age, yet she is determined to see her level of play be an example to others. Head coach Andrea Bustamante turned reporter and asked the winger to talk soccer. “I’ve been a part of DDYSC for nine years. I began playing at the age of three and for the first five years, I played with the boys. I loved playing with the boys because the game was so technical and fast paced. DDY has been a great fit for me. The focus of the club is on player development – both on and off the field. Through DDY, I became involved with the Super Y program. Super Y has exposed me to unique opportunities. For the past two years, I’ve had the honor of playing in the North American Finals at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Talk about soccer heaven! Through the Super Y Scouting Series, I made the National Player Pool and received an invitation to compete at the US Technical Championships. In December, I won the Grand Champion title and will travel to Italy this spring to train with an elite academy team. I was among 72 players selected for this year’s USL Experience, which gave me a behind-the-scenes look at professional soccer and allowed me to compete against some of the highest-level youth competition in the country. I am a member of the Georgia ’05 ODP team and enjoy the additional training and coaching I receive through the Olympic Development Program. I would have to say my command of the 1v1 situation is what makes me different from other players. The ability to be creative on the ball to beat my opponent.” College? It’s my goal to play college soccer. My #1 school of choice is the University of North Carolina.”