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closeBeyond the Athlete: Pillar of the program leads Vikings
Shaun Scott
It didn’t take long for Puyallup Vikings boys soccer coach Matt White to realize Kyle Gaedke was a special kind of player when he took the field during soccer tryouts in the spring of 2005.
Gaedke is one of the few players in the history of the Vikings program who has been on the varsity team since he was a freshman.
“Kyle has been a four-year starter for us,” White said. “When he went to the JV jamboree as a freshman I got a call from our assistant coach and he said, ‘You got to bring this guy up to the varsity team. He doesn’t belong here (on JV).’ He’s been on varsity ever since.”
White said Gaedke is the undisputed leader of the Vikings, who are currently atop the SPSL South Division in first place.
“My job is to keep everybody together playing together and to make sure everyone gets along,” Gaedke said. “It feels great to see our team at the top of the league. The past three years we’ve either been in third or fourth place. Now we’re at the top and there’s not much competition for us in our league.”
Gaedke believes his team has what it takes to make a deep run into the playoffs this spring.
“Last year we went to state and lost in the first round,” Gaedke said. “I see us going far in the state playoffs this year. We have a bunch of soccer players. With Justin (Veltung) and Andrew (Weishaar) on offense, there isn’t any team that can stop us. We move the ball really well and have a solid defense to go along with that.”
Recently, I had an opportunity to sit down with Kyle, asking him a few questions about his life outside of soccer.
Shaun Scott: Where is your favorite restaurant in Puyallup?
Kyle Gaedke: “Red Robin. I like all the food there. It’s great for team dinners and is the best place up there on the hill.”
SS: Who was your idol growing up?
KG: “My dad. He played soccer and I’ve always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
SS: Where do you see yourself in five years?
KG: “Finishing up college and finishing up my soccer career in college. I just committed to Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho. It’s a division 2 school. I got a partial scholarship to go there.”
SS: If you could pick one person to go to dinner with, who would it be?
KG: “It would have to be Frank Lampard. He’s my favorite soccer player and plays in England.”
SS: What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of soccer?
KG: “Hanging out with friends and playing other types of sports.”
SS: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
KG: “It was from my grandpa. He said, ‘Always try your hardest, keep your head up and never give up.’ I’ve never forgotten it.”
SS: What is your favorite movie of all time?
KG: “Billy Madison. I just like all of Adam Sandler’s comedy movies. They are hilarious.”
SS: What is your favorite dinner dish?
KG: “It’s a hard choice because I like everything but I’ll pick steak and potatoes.”