Missouri midfielder Landis Canada (25) fights for a ball against Florida’s Sophie White (11) in the first half of a game on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at Walton Stadium. | (Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation)
Time to meet one of this season’s unsung heroes
When you first meet Landis Canada, it can be hard to see what makes her so special to the naked eye. She sits quiet and reserved, keeping to herself the best that she can. But when you see Landis out on the soccer pitch, it becomes impossible to look away.
Landis Canada was born in Fenton, Michigan, and was taught the game of soccer by the time she was able to see. Landis’ dad originally coached her teams growing up. This competitive nature extended away from games and practice, pushing Landis and her four siblings to always do their best.
“I think my dad kind of created like a competitive environment for us,” Landis said. “So he’d always gives us a prize if we won, like a slushy after[wards] at the gas station.”
Let’s not glaze over the fact she has FOUR siblings. Landis and her three younger siblings all lived in the same bedroom, despite there being plenty of available bedrooms in the house. Their parents insisted on them living in the same spot, building an unbreakable bond.
“Being able to spend each night together, talk to each other before bed,” said older sister Madi Canada. “That’s something I honestly miss…being able to talk to someone every night. Because my sisters are my best friends.”
Madi was perhaps Landis’ closest friend as the two were quite close in age; Madi is only two years older than Landis. The two grew up playing soccer together, spending all their time together growing up. While their time at high school started to separate them through different classes, they still found time to prioritize their relationship.
“In passing time [we would] walk through the lunch line together,” Madi said. “We had a set spot to meet…she had friends she could walk with and I had friends that I could walk with.”
Landis has always been quite shy—not to say she didn’t have plenty of friends and wasn’t well-liked, but very much only spoke when she was spoken to. Madi was always there to either break her “out of her shell” or help back her up.
Madi now plays college soccer at Western Michigan, so while the two were separated for the first two years, there were still plenty of opportunities to visit. Last year Landis once visited Madi shortly after she got a concussion playing at WMU. The two completed the trip with a cordial visit to the local Applebee’s.
“I was really sad that she couldn’t come any more, but she made sure that she could come,” Madi said. “It showed that even though I was still in college and far away, she could still come [visit] and have fun.”
But the added distance since Landis went off to Mizzou has left them unable to see one another. With the 500-mile gap, the 8-hour drive and the added wrinkle of D1 soccer schedules, there hasn’t been any time for the sisters to see one another.
“I think I was not a very independent person, growing up in a big family,” Landis said. “So moving 10 hours away, it kind of forced me to be more independent.”
Now while Landis is without her family for the first time, she is by no means alone. Mizzou soccer considers themselves a family within themselves, 30 young women who work together as a proper sisterhood.
Missouri forward Kylee Simmons (22) celebrates her goal alongside Landis Canada (25) in the first half of a game against Florida on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at Audrey J. Walton Stadium. (Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation)
Without Madi there are still plenty of role models for Landis to turn to in times of need. Someone she finds herself going back to over and over is Kylee Simmons. This was match made in heaven right from the start, as head coach Stefanie Golan tasked Simmons with hosting Landis on her first official visit.
“The coaches told me, ‘Hey, we really want this girl,’” Simmons said. “I would say the we just clicked instantly from that moment…she had called me when she committed to Mizzou, saying how important I was in that decision-making [process].”
The pair formed an immediate bond and have only gotten closer. While the two obviously connect over their love of soccer, often times it can be hard to train together as the duo will often stop and talk for embarrassing amounts of time.
“In the summer we would go do extra finishing…it would be golden hour, so that atmosphere was always awesome,” Simmons said. “We would stop and stand on the field and talk for 45 minutes and then realize, ‘oh gosh we haven’t done any reps’…we would be out there for probably over two hours.”
Overall Simmons has served as not only a friend, but an ambassador to tell anyone and everyone how good Landis REALLY is.
“Her versatility that I think is just absolutely phenomenal, and not just for a freshman, but for a soccer player in general. I think that she is so special in that way,” Simmons said. “100% she would not talk about herself like this, so I know that I need to…I want everyone to know that that versatility is just unheard of, and her soccer IQ and just her skills in general are such a wide variety. And it’s just so cool to see her thrive, and I would feel so comfortable with her anywhere on the field.”
As a freshman Landis started in EVERY game, playing 1399 minutes (one short, darn). This included a six-game stretch lasting nearly a month where she played every minute in a true iron-woman effort.
Coming into this season Landis won the ‘beep’ test, used to test the endurance of college soccer players across the nation.
“I was confident in the scores that I’d be able to provide,” Landis said. “I did all the summer fitness and I was super excited to come in ready.”
Missouri midfielder Leah Selm (12) celebrates with Missouri midfielder Landis Canada (25) after Selm’s goal during a game against Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Walton Stadium. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)
Missouri midfielder Leah Selm (12) celebrates with Missouri midfielder Landis Canada (25) after Selm’s goal during a game against Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Walton Stadium. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)
Now while many people have difficulty transitioning to college in their first year, Landis doesn’t see what all the hoopla is about. The key is to not overcomplicate it; school first, soccer next, then anything and everything after that.
“I have a lot of friends or teammates in the same classes, so they’re always really helpful,” Landis said. “[On] away trips we always have homework time, and specific times we need to get stuff done…I think that just helps me stay on track.”
Landis dreams of great things for herself and her team. One day she hopes to join Mizzou soccer’s leadership team, a set of older players tasked with inspiring the underclassmen to be the very best they can be. It’s no real surprise that her good friend Kylee Simmons sits atop that list.
“I look up to a lot of those girls in in that role, and I think they really help drive everything in practice and make sure they’re holding us accountable,” Landis said.
In terms of team goals, Landis mentioned the SEC tournament and to keep pushing forward. While Mizzou will miss the tournament after finishing as the last team out, there’s a general sense that the program is heading in the right direction. With someone as talented and rocksteady like Landis Canada on the roster, who knows how high this team can soar.
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