OLYMPIA, Wash. – Joshua Coetzee (Sr., D) from The Evergreen State College men's soccer team is the Evergreen Featured Athlete of the Week for March 12, 2025. Coetzee is from Durban, South Africa and Westville Boys' High School. He transferred to Evergreen from South Puget Sound Community College. His areas of academic focus are business management and computer science.

After growing up in South Africa, Coetzee chose to continue in soccer and academics in the United States. He first went to South Puget Sound CC, where he was a Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) All-Star in 2021.

"It's a long story," Coetzee recalled. "I was scouted through an agency to come to the USA. That was how I met the SPSCC head coach and committed there. I wanted to pursue a collegiate soccer career whilst getting an education something that many people do not get the privilege to do. For many, particularly in South Africa, it's one or the other."

After attending SPSCC, it was time for Coetzee to continue his education at a four-year college. He didn't have to look far to find Evergreen.

"I was curious to see the interdisciplinary approach to academics (at Evergreen), and the evaluations system over traditional grading," Coetzee explained. "It was a big leap, but I'm glad I had Head Coach Steve Schmidt to guide me through the process.

"I was connected to Evergreen before committing," Coetzee continued. "I knew a lot of the players that were committing my junior year along with me, many whom I faced in the NWAC or who I had played with over the summer months for different clubs in the area. There are obviously so many factors to consider (in choosing Evergreen), but in short, it was the coaching, the players I already knew, and the unique way I would be able to pursue my academic career."

At Evergreen, Coetzee played soccer in 2023 and 2024. He saw action in 12 games with two starts as a junior. During his senior season, he played in 15 games and made 11 starts. He scored goals on headers against Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) and Southern Oregon University in 2024.

"I am proud of myself for scoring in those games against two very good teams," Coetzee said. "Both were from corner kicks, which I and the rest of the team had been practicing a lot during the course of the season. It was really cool to see the hard work come into fruition with both of those goals. They are also very similar types of goals, so I am sure you can imagine how many times I practiced them."

While at Evergreen, he has been involved in student government. In addition, he's currently a student member of the Board of Trustees.

"Some key moments I can share from my role on the Board of Trustees are meeting Washington state legislators to discuss the future of higher education in Washington State and being confirmed in front of the Senate committee for higher education," Coetzee commented. "Also, in general, being able to be a part of the decision making that will influence the direction that the college go in. Having that legacy is really important to me.

"I'm also involved on the Geoduck Student Union, as treasurer as well as the S&A fees board coordinator," Coetzee added. "These positions are really important as I facilitate other students allocating student funds for student initiatives and organizations on campus."

In addition to focusing on his academic studies, playing intercollegiate soccer, and serving in student government and on the Board of Trustees, Coetzee also has helped record statistics for the Evergreen women's volleyball and men's and women's basketball teams. During home matches and home games, he has inputted the statistics into a computer program that officially records the game and season stats. He began working as a stats inputter while he was attending South Puget Sound CC.

"It started at SPSCC because I needed a job, which turned into a … little passion of mine," Coetzee noted. "And news got around town that I was good, so when I transitioned to Evergreen, I already had a bit of a name for myself regarding stats keeping. I generally enjoy stats, but it's also a lot of fun to work with my peers, often others in athletics."

While playing soccer for the Geoducks, Coetzee was a leader on defense and was a key player for the team. He enjoyed many aspects of being an intercollegiate athlete on the Evergreen men's soccer team.

"I like the team and coaching staff, the location, our fields, and facilities," Coetzee said. "The general comradery that forms is always something I look forward to. I think being able to travel with your teammates and those experiences on the road are also invaluable."