Dickinson signs LIT for soccer

Senior Evan Dickinson recently signed his letter of intent to play soccer for Walla Walla Community College, located in Walla Walla, Wash.

The center back for the Bulldogs went on a visit to the Northwest Athletic Conference school after WWCC reached out to him on his Next Student College Athlete account. Dickinson was taken on a tour, where he got to see the facilities and practice with the team.

“In practice, they’re really competitive,” Dickinson said. “They’ll be chirping at each other, but, afterward, they’re hanging out as friends again.”

“All of them had passion and were practicing at full effort,” Dickinson said. “I really liked that.”

Walla Walla plays a three-in-the-back system, meaning that Dickinson will most likely play in a similar position, move to center back or play one of the outside backs.

“I hope to play wherever gets me the most minutes,” Dickinson said.

Dickinson spoke of the supportive nature of the school and community and about how the baseball team watches the soccer team, the soccer team watches the basketball team, and so on.

“They’re all supportive and connected,” Dickinson said.

He agreed that it was very reminiscent of the Sandpoint community.

“I like the culture at Walla Walla,” Dickinson said. “I like that they’re more of a family. They really stressed that.”

Dickinson will be attending the school on an athletic scholarship and hopes to pair that with more local scholarships. He will look to move on to a four-year schooling opportunity after WWCC.

“The coach has good connections and works with the kids if they want to play at the next level,” Evan's dad, Derek Dickinson said.

Walla Walla finished runner-up in the championship game in 2022 for the NWAC division. The school was the top defensive team in the NWAC.

“That’s huge in my book,” Dickinson said.

Sandpoint High School had 11 straight clean sheets and went undefeated in its 2022 season.

Of course, Dickinson wouldn't be where he is today without the support of the people around him.

He mentioned the likes of his early coaches, Heather Morgan and Tom Eddy, Strikers club coach Allen Brinkmeier and former Strikers director Rick Mullin.

“They pushed me to be a better person and made me more passionate about the game,” Dickinson said. “They made me love the game.”

High school coaches Tanner French and Dan Anderson helped Dickinson to be more serious and competitive about his game.

“They taught me the Bulldogs mentality of how to outwork the other team by playing smarter and paying close attention to detail,” Dickinson said. “I hope to bring that to Walla Walla and my collegiate career.”

Mike Thompson, head coach of the Coeur d’Alene Timbers team, has also been a huge help to Dickinson. He joined the Timbers last spring and found success straight away when winning the Idaho state championship with the team. The Timbers went on to compete in the Western Regionals in June. Dickinson will play with the team again this June.

“I was skeptical about joining a Coeur d'Alene team,” Dickinson said. “I was like these guys are supposed to be my enemies. But I ended up going to some regional- and national-level tournaments where I got a lot of exposure to different coaches and players. It boosted my confidence and let me have a better idea of where I ranked.”

Dickinson said he’s unsure of what he’d like to study but wants to stay in sports and focus on sports psychology or athletic management of some sort.

“I’m thankful for all he’s gotten from the soccer community here,” Ann Dicksinson said. “It’s a pretty tight-knit community, where a lot of the players come back and help out with the Strikers organization and the high school.”

The Dickinson family expressed they couldn't be more thankful for the coaches and community that have supported Evan and his dreams.