VALERIE CERDA '14 Recruiting Profile

Playing soccer for high school, I was constantly being asked if I was going to pursue my soccer career after I graduate. I always dreamt of it but I never had enough confidence in my skills to actually think I had a chance of playing soccer in college.

Recently I was the only girl at my local soccer park to sign up to play on an all boys team; as a result, I had the opportunity to challenge myself and that is exactly what I did. During the very first practice I was the last one to finish the warm up lap and I knew that was unacceptable. After that, during my spare time I would practice and condition on my own so I could prevent making an embarrassment of myself for the rest of the season. Although I was improving, the boys on my team stepped it up too so a girl wouldn't be better than them; consequently, I had to work even harder to prove that I was able to keep up with the boys. 

Eventually my hard work paid off because at the end of the season I was one of the strongest players on  my team. I still didn't believe I was that great of a player until I began to play with my high school varsity team again. Practice with girls was so much easier because I was use to being held to a male's standard. Right away it was clear that I could sprint faster then almost anyone on my team, my endurance was the strongest and I was overall a better player.

I then realized playing soccer for a college was no longer a dream out of my reach, but instead it was a goal that I planned to achieve. My goals for after high school are very obvious to me and I am extremely determined to accomplish everything that I want. I plan on playing soccer for my college, earning a degree, commissioning as an Officer in the U.S. Army and becoming a Firefighter while maintaining to help kids with disabilities. I also plan on starting my own TOPSoccer team so I can teach kids with disabilities to play soccer.

I know my goals may seem unattainable to an ordinary girl because it will require lots of mental and physical strength but I am highly motivated and dedicated to achieve what I want in life. I plan on being a leader and a hero in my future so I can have a positive influence on younger people. I would appreciate if you would help me achieve my goals, so I can accomplish everything I want in life. I know it will be a challenge but I am willing to commit and sacrifice in order to get what I desire.