Soccer’S His Main Focus Nc’S Bobby Johnson Lives For The Game

Bobby Johnson and his three brothers used to skip meals to play soccer.

Now, he skips water breaks during North Central’s soccer practices to sneak in a few extra shots on goal.

Soccer is in his soul. It’s what gives Johnson purpose in life. At least for now.

“He has a love for soccer, so whenever there’s any kind of lag time during practice, he’s doing something with the ball, hitting it, kicking it or laying on it,” said Indians coach Tim Cox. “It’s constant soccer with Bobby. That’s what makes him such a good captain.”

And that’s what makes the senior forward one of the top players in the Greater Spokane League. Johnson hopes to lead defending league champion NC to another GSL title. League matches begin Wednesday, and the Indians will have a tough test in their 4 p.m. match at Mead.

Johnson once practiced headers with teammate and best friend Dustin Allbery for three hours. The two - arguably the top offensive duo in the league - kept the ball going 321 times that day three years ago. But it wasn’t a big deal, insists Johnson.

“I just try to keep playing and never stop,” he said. “Dustin and I think a lot alike. If there’s a water break, we stay out there and play.

“I’m intense about soccer, it’s my life.”

It’s his entire family’s life, actually. Johnson’s father, Tony, has coached all four of his sons and plays in a men’s 40-and-over league. Johnson’s mother, Barb, coaches his 10-year-old sister, Jenessa.

The family watches soccer videos together. And every year at Christmas when all the boys are home together, the Johnsons join a group of friends and play in a local indoor tournament.

“They’ll never get out of soccer,” Tony Johnson said of his children. “It’s a lifetime thing. It’s been fun.”

There are sure to be comparisons made this spring between Johnson and his oldest brother, Paul, the GSL’s co-MVP as a senior in 1996.

But Johnson, 18, said it’s not worth trying to settle on who’s better. He plays forward and is a scorer. His brother was a midfielder and created opportunities for his teammates and controlled the pace of the game.

“I try to work on individual stats and not compare myself to other people,” said Johnson, a first-team all-GSL choice last year after scoring 11 goals and passing for six assists. Through two games this season, he had three goals and three assists.

“Everybody does (compare themselves) a little bit, but whatever happens, happens.”

Paul’s love of soccer rubbed off on his three younger brothers, their father says. They had plenty of battles in the backyard.

But Bobby Johnson had to take four months off from soccer last fall.

He had surgery on his right knee in July to correct a previous injury, then dislocated it later in the summer while playing with his Skyhawks club team just before school started. He didn’t play again until Jan. 1, when he began running, shooting and juggling. Johnson wore a brace all last season.

“I wanted to play bad,” said Johnson, who hopes to play college soccer at Gonzaga or Western Washington. “I would sit and watch videos and I was irritated I couldn’t play. I knew when it came, I’d be like `Yeah, I get to play again’ and be pumped for it.”

The time off gave him a chance to concentrate more on school. Johnson maintains a 3.3 grade-point average.

Johnson admits soccer and school always have come easy for him. He tried football as a freshman after running cross country through elementary and middle school.

“I’ve always been focused on soccer,” he said. “Running kept me in shape for soccer, and that’s why I did it.”