Thanks in part to the understanding of Jon & Linn Thomson at Shelburne’s No Frills, it is within the realm of probability that you could be seeing a Shelburne name on one of the rosters at a future World Cup of soccer.

That might sound like a bit of a stretch. But Graydon Lynch, a student employee of No Frills, is not only one of a scant 60 from all of North America scouted for Concave Sports National Soccer Combine in Canton, Ohio for sports scholarships – but he has established himself as outstanding among the 60 in both his kicking and running abilities.

Graydon is a left striker (left winger in hockey parlance) with the Caledon Strikers Soccer Club.

He’s going into Grade 12 at Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) this fall, and is more than likely to qualify for a scholarship to a U.S. university through College Prospects of America in 2011.

He was one of only four Canadians among the 60 from North America at the Concave Sports combine. Is that likely to place him in a World Cup four, eight, or 12 years from now? “Only if Canada ever makes it (into the Cup),” joked the 17-year old striker.

Concave, on its Website, says the only players invited to the combine are those who are “capable of playing at the highest level of collegiate soccer.” It says a purpose of the combine is to provide an opportunity for these athletes to be seen by “some of the nation’s best coaches.” The combine, free the maximum 60 athletes who qualify, is corporately supported. Its aim is to “see the continued growth of club and collegiate soccer here in the States. The U.S. has the potential to become a superpower in the field of international soccer. It all starts here at the grassroots level.”

It might have taken a lot of dedication to achieve the ability to kick the ball at 64 mph (a shade better than 100 km/h) and to be able to run 100 yards in 10.6 seconds, but Graydon says he is thankful that he could do that while working at No Frills while a student at Centre Dufferin District High School.

As well, he says he’s grateful for the dedicated support of his father, Gary Lynch, and step-mom Shelley Buffitt.

To his knowledge, not all supermarkets and certainly not all employers are supportive of aspiring athletes. And he is mature enough to recognize that it isn’t always easy for parents to be deeply involved in their children’s sports.

Among the 60 who qualified for the combine, how highly regarded is Graydon?

Enough so that the International Soccer Network has asked him for an interview for a profile in its magazine. And, as well, Concave sent him a $150 (U.S.) pair of soccer shoes so he would have them for a tournament he was playing in Buffalo on the weekend of July 24. He scored three goals in that tournament – “not too shabby” for soccer.

Meantime, West Virginia State University has asked to interview Graydon for a possible soccer scholarship but, on a technicality, no university can formally offer a scholarship until he is actually in Grade 12.