{"id":2294,"date":"2024-02-21T10:58:58","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T20:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/?p=2294"},"modified":"2024-02-20T16:59:19","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T02:59:19","slug":"caprice-dydasco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/caprice-dydasco\/","title":{"rendered":"Kick Start!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Photo by Lawrence Tabudlo<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s clear why Caprice Dydasco is loving life these days. The professional soccer player not only became engaged recently, but is also preparing to kick off the 2024 season with Bay FC, the latest team to join the National Women\u2019s Soccer League.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Caprice Dydasco spent her winter holiday running at Kapi\u2018olani Park \u2014 a lot. \u201cOh, my gosh, it\u2019s awful,\u201d jokes the professional soccer player. \u201cThe other day, I was like, \u2018Why did I choose the sport that has the most running?\u2019 It\u2019s the biggest field, bigger than a football field.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an outside back for Bay FC, the newest team in the National Women\u2019s Soccer League, her main job is to defend the goal. Of course, as the sport has evolved, the position has changed to also being part of the attack. Endurance and quick feet are a necessity, as is expeditious decision-making in the middle of a play.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coaches can only tell you so many things, but when you\u2019re on the field, you play what you see, you trust your gut,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

So, in addition to running during the off-season, Dydasco incorporated strength training and ball touches (passes, shots, dribbles, traps, etc.) into her regimen. She also added group training with her dad\u2019s teams on O\u2018ahu.<\/p>\n

Her hard work will pay off when Bay FC makes its NWSL debut next month, a milestone for the 30-year-old Dydasco and the league at large.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can set the bar as high as we want,\u201d says the NWSL 2021 Defender of the Year.<\/p>\n

As a free agent, Dydasco was able to shop around and talk to the different teams interested in signing her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the first time in my career that I could decide where I wanted to go,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Drafted by the Washington Spirit in 2015, Dydasco went on loan to the Newcastle Jets. From there, she was traded to Sky Blue FC (now known as NJ\/NYGotham FC), which then traded her to the Houston Dash.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was my chance to do what\u2019s best for me and my career,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Joining Bay FC means she can do more of what she loves most: spending time with her family. When she played soccer for UCLA, her family would fly up to watch her Friday night games, and Dydasco could take flights back to visit on long weekends. Being based in California once again allows her to be closer to home \u2014 about 2,400 miles away instead of the 3,800-plus miles when she played for the Houston Dash.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy main goal throughout my career is being closer to home, closer to family,\u201d says the Kaimuk\u012b native and Kamehameha Schools graduate.<\/p>\n

To say Dydasco comes from a soccer family would be an understatement. Her parents, Jose and Misty, met playing the sport when they were teenagers, and her dad still coaches youngsters on the island. Her older brother, Zane, played for the U.S. Air Force Academy (he now owns and operates the Makiki Chick-fil-A), and her younger sister, True, suited up for the Oregon Ducks\u2019 soccer team and currently runs with the Guamanian national women\u2019s soccer squad.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, soccer has always been such a family-oriented sport for me,\u201d Dydasco says. \u201cMy dad is a soccer coach, and he\u2019s able to train me individually, and I can always jump in with one of his teams to get team training in when I\u2019m home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only member who doesn\u2019t play is her fiance, Adam Thomas \u2014 the two got engaged in December; Dydasco\u2019s family was present for the betrothal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t tell me how to do my job; he just thinks I\u2019m awesome,\u201d she says, a hint of a smile in her voice. \u201cSince we\u2019ve been dating, he\u2019s been getting more knowledgeable, and now he loves watching the sport. He just supports me, and that\u2019s really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

That support on the homefront allows Dydasco to support her fellow soccer players professionally. She also hopes to connect with the Bay Area community: \u201cI\u2019m going to be there for three years, and I look forward to making it my home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still want to be good when I call it quits,\u201d she adds with a laugh. \u201cI want to end my career these last three years and move on, become a mom and do other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

But until those three years are up, Dydasco has her sights set on winning and leaving a legacy. As a veteran in the NWSL, she\u2019s striving to be a good leader for her teammates and any up-and-coming players who might be watching.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our job and duty to help sustain this league, so we can have young girls dream about playing soccer,\u201d Dydasco says. \u201cI didn\u2019t have that growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s proud of her time in the NWSL \u2014 she starts her 10th year in March \u2014 noting that it\u2019s the nation\u2019s longest-running women\u2019s soccer league. It\u2019s an impressive statistic, considering other professional women\u2019s soccer leagues have folded in the past, and it\u2019s a testament to the durability of the NWSL. Since joining a decade ago, Dydasco has seen the league grow by leaps and bounds in terms of fan support. The season has gradually gotten longer, which is good news for fans and players. The first five seasons of Dydasco\u2019s career ran March-September; now, the season runs March-November.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy rookie year, my salary was so low,\u201d she recalls. \u201cPeople didn\u2019t even know what the league was. We have come a long way with attendance at games, being able to have access to watch our games. We\u2019ve grown from eight teams to now 12, and I\u2019m happy I can be a part of this growing league.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find out where to watch Dydasco and Bay FC\u2019s 2024 season online at nwslsoccer.com\/schedule.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s clear why Caprice Dydasco is loving life these days. 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