In the world of Jaiden Santo, the challenge that was Covid-19 was his lemon.

The Laurentian Voyageurs and Sudbury Cyclones, however, are more than happy to be the lemonade for the 20 year-old gifted soccer scorer.

A native of Brampton, the eldest of two sons born to athletic parents of Jamaican and Barbadian descent was an attacking sensation in his youth – and this in a part of the province where the sport reins supreme.

“I was highly regarded in soccer, growing up,” conveyed the young man who was named Laurentian Varsity Male Rookie of the Year in 2022-2023. “From the time I was two or three, I was kicking a ball around. I played a lot of sports growing up, but soccer was always the one. I always knew.”

"The only slowdown for me was Covid.”

An attacking midfielder and forward in his teens, Santo cracked the lineup of teams where soccer dreams flourish, a member of the Ontario Cup finalist Woodbridge Strikers squad in 2017 before switching over to Sigma FC, competing in League1 Ontario while still not old enough to vote.

“I looked for the best opportunities,” said Santo. “Once I got to a certain age, I had to back off from the other sports and solely focus on soccer.”

Like so many soccer stars at the youth competitive level, Santo was fixated on just one thing early on – putting the ball in the back of the net. Looking back, a slight positional change might have been the best thing to happen to the well-spoken L.U. student who is very much looking forward to an academic exchange that sees him heading to Austria in February.

“I moved from striker to attacking mid and that allowed me to learn the game better, to really understand it,” he said. “It made me a better player to go out on the wing or go up top.”

Still, for as much as success followed him frequently, the third year Sports Administration student who spent this past summer with the Sudbury Cyclones also fell victim to the affliction that so many talented youngsters in all sports encounter.

“If I had a chance to talk to my 14 year-old self, I would say: stop getting in your own head,” noted Santo. “It’s mentally challenging playing at a high level at a young age. You really have to have a clear head.”

As he reached high-school graduation, the simple truth was that very little in the world was clear.

With post-secondary athletes granted extended eligibility due to the pandemic, recruitment slowed to a crawl. That was about the time that Laurentian coach Tony Tagliafierro would come calling.

“I did some research about the school and my program, and when I came up to meet the guys, meet the coaches, I really enjoyed the small school atmosphere,” said Santo. “It was such a new experience for me – and that’s what I really loved. I decided to just go in and play without worrying about what might have happened.”

Making an impact immediately upon his arrival in Sudbury, Santo has continued to grow – in more ways than one. “My physical development has always been one thing that has held me back,” noted the 5’10” speedster who was a sprinter in high-school. “Now, it’s about getting in the gym and putting a body on me.”

“In my first year, I was getting thrown around a bit. It may not look it, but I did get stronger.”

“There is always room to learn more about the game, but the majority of my game is very developed.”

Coming off a summer of workouts with the Cyclones, Santo was a key component in the Voyageurs lineup that posted a solid record of 4-5-3 in a very tough OUA East Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in a handful of years.

“The advantage (of a summer with the Cyclones) was having match fitness, being ready to go right away when the season starts,” Santo suggested. “It wasn’t a matter of working on my fitness in season; it was just maintaining my fitness. It just had me ready for the season, which gave me a better season, in general.”

With eyes on playing professionally in Canada or beyond, Santo overcame some early doubts at being of the forefront of a young Laurentian roster, one which still has goals to accomplish.

“I came in as a first year player, 18 years old, and I looked to the 5th year players to model my leadership – all while adding my own personality to it,” he said. “I am not going to say I am the greatest at it, because I’m not, but embracing the role was key for me. A big group of recruits came in (this year) and looked to Nico (Patenaude), to Timi (Aliu) and me.”

And in him they saw a young man looking to make the most of his opportunities, overcoming the challenges outside his control that were thrown his way. They saw Jaiden Santo – assistant captain.