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Player of the Month January 2025

Published on: January 28, 2025
Uchealth-potm

Congrats to Noah Kapustka on winning our January 2025 UCHealth Player of the Month award!

Potm january noah kapustka 09b npl

Noah is an attacker for our Rapids 08 and 09B NPL teams, where his coaches and teammates consistently praise his skill, intelligence, strength, and unwavering dedication. They describe him as a passionate, reliable player who always gives his best.

Noah is a deaf athlete with ambitions of becoming a key player and captain for both the US Deaf National Team and the Rochester Institute of Technology’s soccer team. In 2021, he made history as the youngest player to attend a US Deaf Men’s National Soccer Team training camp. In the 2022/23 season, he helped his team win the state cup and compete at regionals. At CRYSC, Noah continues to break barriers as a deaf player on an all-hearing team. This year, he earned the honor of being named his team’s captain—a milestone he’s incredibly proud of. Outside of CRYSC, Noah was a top-five finalist in the Deaf National Math Competition and is currently the Junior National Association of the Deaf President.

This February, Noah will be presented with a plaque and a gift card to acknowledge his achievements. We met with Noah to learn a bit more about him. Check out the full interview below!

What influence has soccer had in your life?

To be honest, I do not know life without soccer so it has influenced all parts of my life. It has allowed me to be in a different culture and group than Deaf culture and Deaf community. Soccer has taught me leadership skills and how to deal with the highs and lows of winning and losing. It has also taught me about overcoming adversity and challenges. Additionally, it has taught me how to use an ASL interpreter at a very young age when I just started soccer at 3 years old.

Why do you believe that you were nominated for this award?

I feel I have been nominated because I continue to overcome a lot of challenges being a Deaf player on an all hearing team. This past year I became a leader for my team as a captain. Being a captain is something I am very proud of and will continue to do my best to inspire and lead my team. I continue to overcome the challenges of being a Deaf player who communicates differently than other hearing players on and off the field.

What do you enjoy most about playing for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club?

I am grateful how the Rapids as a club has supported me as a Deaf soccer player. I enjoy the community aspect of being a Rapids player and I enjoy the connection I have with present and past teammates. Also, I enjoy the coaches and directors that have connected with me and those that have supported me on my journey.

What soccer accomplishment are you most proud of?

In 2021, I was the youngest player ever to attend a US Deaf Men’s National Soccer Training Camp and score a goal in a friendly. Also, I was on a Rapids team that won the state cup in 2022-23 and competed at Regionals. I am proud of the teams (both soccer and futsal) that I have been on and how I have contributed to them with my attitude, creativity, energy, effort, goals, and assists.

What academic achievement are you most proud of?

I was a top-five finalist in the Deaf National Math Competition. I am currently the Junior National Association of the Deaf President of Rocky Mountain Deaf School. I also have a current GPA of 4.0

How do you think your teammates would describe you?

My teammates have described me as a skillful, intelligent, and very strong player who is dedicated, passionate, and trustworthy. They say my skills extend off the field and they can tell soccer is a massive part of my life and I do a great job of balancing that and other parts of my everyday activities.

What is something that shows your exemplary character, commitment to sportsmanship, community involvement, etc..?

I play with a big heart and passion every time I step onto the pitch. Recently, I led my team in teaching a soccer camp to an out-of-state Deaf preschool. This was on an away tournament, and I led the team activity through my and the student’s native language of ASL. I taught my team simple soccer signs and the importance of connecting with the little kids by using soccer. It was a lot of fun for everyone, and I was proud of my team.

What’s your favorite soccer player and team?

I am a huge Lionel Messi and Barcelona fan

What do you hope to pursue in the near future?

My large goal in life is to become a captain and key player on the US Deaf Men’s National Soccer Team and Rochester Institute of Technology’s soccer team. I also have goal of playing professional soccer. Academically, I want to pursue computer science and becoming a technical engineer.

Who inspires you and why? This can be someone famous or someone you know personally!

Mia White, my mentor and great friend, inspires me in my life. She is a Deaf player that plays for a professional soccer team and has been training me since I was little. She has overcome some of the same and even more challenges than I have and has taught me a lot about soccer and life. I look up to her a lot.

What else do you enjoy outside of playing for CRYSC?

I enjoy video games, drawing, cooking, reading anime books, playing lot of other sports, and working out.

Since 2018, CRYSC and UCHealth + CU Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have worked together in an effort to grow the safety and health resources that are available for Rapids Youth players and members.

As our partnership strengthens with UCHealth, we want to work together to highlight the amazing players within the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club with a monthly ‘Player of the Month’. Check out the criteria and nominate any players that deserve to be highlighted by UCHealth and CRYSC on the UCHealth Player of the Month page.

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