BEMIDJI -- For Noah Johnson, the decision wasn’t just about athletics.
He may be landing at a Division II program, but Johnson also wanted an outdoors community to immerse himself in.
“It wasn’t all about the soccer,” the Bemidji High School senior said. “It was mostly about the environment of the college. If I couldn’t play soccer, would I still like to go to school there? I know at Northern Michigan, if I (can’t play), I’ll still like the community and want to be a part of it.”
Johnson committed to the Wildcats on Friday at the high school, and he’s landing in a spot that suits his interests on and off the pitch.
“It’s a super outdoors-y city,” Johnson said of Marquette, Mich. “There’s a lot of stuff you can do outside the school. I love to mountain bike and snowboard and stuff.”
ADVERTISEMENT
When Johnson toured schools last summer, Northern Michigan was his first stop. It quickly proved to be the spot where he envisioned his future. Johnson said he “just fell in love with everything about it,” which includes an opportunity to attain a degree in wildlife biology or forestry.
As he enters into the Wildcats’ program next fall, Johnson is hopeful to sharpen his own skillset as well as those around him.
“I just love to compete at all times. No matter what we’re doing, I’ll try the best I can,” he said. “I know I’ll improve a lot from playing with the people there, and I’ll make sure that (my teammates) can improve from playing me too.”
And Johnson’s Lumberjack upbringing has a lot to do with that, he said.
“I’ve been able to benefit from the program they’ve built here,” Johnson said. “Over the past four seasons or so, they’ve been extremely successful. I’ve been able to hop onto that winning mentality and experience it. … They give you the opportunity to thrive and do your best.”
