RUSSIAN KICKS; WIRTHLIN FOUND TIME IN MOSCOW REWARDING.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

NEWHALL - Now a senior, Katie Wirthlin missed out on a chance to play on Hart High of Newhall's girls' soccer team the past three years.

But visiting historic world capitals was an appealing alternative.

Wirthlin spent four years living abroad in Russia with her family. Playing for her Moscow high school soccer team offered quite a different road itinerary than the Indians' Foothill League schedule.

"Instead of like traveling to Burroughs (High) to play we would travel to like Prague," said Wirthlin, a senior midfielder/forward for Hart.

Her Russian experience was quite educational for Wirthlin, who moved to Moscow along with her parents and six younger brothers and sisters four years ago.

Katie's father Richard Wirthlin, an attorney, was the managing partner of a Moscow law firm. In their spare time, Richard and Katie's mother Joni were establishing an American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) league in Moscow.

Katie Wirthlin said it remains the only AYSO-sanctioned project outside of United States soil. Region 1032 has grown from a pool of 100 boys and girls to more than 800 when the Wirthlin's moved back to Santa Clarita last summer.

Katie Wirthlin's responsibilities not only included playing on a boys' team (there were not enough girls to field a squad early on) but involved coaching three teams, officiating other games and serving as an equipment manager.

The Wirthlins raised money through fund-raisers before they left the U.S. and used donated soccer equipment from local teams to provide opportunities to play soccer in Moscow.

"It was really cheap (to participate) because a lot of (Russian) people don't have a lot of money," Wirthlin said. "We were the only ones who knew what AYSO was. Everyone there was used to only playing soccer if you were really good. There was no such thing as you could play to have fun."

The Russian national team women's coaches were impressed enough with then-15-year-old Wirthlin to let her work out with the team. She had a chance to play in some exhibition matches despite being four and five years younger than the other players.

The school's league played an annual tournament in a different Eastern European city. Wirthlin's soccer teams went to Prague, Warsaw, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest.

There was much more to the experience than soccer.

"Like baseball is our pastime, soccer is their pastime. Every game, even if it was just a scrimmage, you would walk out into the middle of the field holding your team's hands and you'd turn and wave to the crowd even if it was only your coach," Wirthlin said. "Then you would shake hands and exchange gifts. Then you'd play. And at the end of the game you'd do the same thing."

Wirthlin's days in Russia, a country that has endured so much change throughout time, was an eye-opening experience for a teen-ager.

The four years the Wirthlin's spent there saw major political and social unrest in the country.

"I learned how young our country is. I mean Russians just had their 850th anniversary. We're only like 200," Wirthlin said. "The Russian people have been through so much. It's so hard for them to be truly happy. . . . It's good that the (Communist) government was overthrown, but it's going to take a long time to get used to Democracy because they're so used to doing everything for the government."

Wirthlin, who arrived in Moscow as a 13-year-old not knowing if "anyone had civilization outside of America," misses the Russian culture recollecting on her time spent there.

She learned to love fresh Russian bread and Borscht while missing out on the American snack luxuries like Pop Tarts and Fruit Roll-Ups.

Wirthlin wants to return to Moscow sometime soon before moving on to college next fall. Being back home offers a new perspective between the two countries.

"I appreciate a lot more of what we have; the conveniences that we have. . . . I'm so thankful for sports programs like this one at Hart," Wirthlin said. "I feel safe here. . . . I really miss living there, though."

Her Hart teammates refer to Wirthlin as "Russia", a nickname that seems to fit. She's been in the unique position of living in a society so different to this one.

Indians coach Costa Nicolaou, in his first season at the school, attributes Wirthlin's hard work ethic, positive attitude and ability to listen to spending four years in Moscow.

"You're in a foreign country. You have to adapt. You have to get used to the food, the way of life, the language, the weather. Everything," Nicolaou said. "So it certainly helped mature her. She's a young lady. She's not a little girl."

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Photo: Hart's Katie Wirthlin played for a high school soccer team in Moscow.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News