Personal Statement
My name is Aaliyah Bustamante and I am a well-respected, veteran goalkeeper at De Anza Force. I attend Homestead High School in Cupertino, CA, and maintain a 3.8 GPA. I have been with De Anza Force since I started club at just 6 years old. My primary team is 05G ECNL, but before my transition to ECNL, I was regularly training with the U17/U18 girls and occasionally asked to guest for our 04 NPL team. Recently, we've had combined training with the 04 ECNL team as well.
I have been referred to by my coaches as a goalkeeper with excellent footwork. In my club, we practice building out from the back, which I have found has helped my footwork and ball-handling skills tremendously. I am also a very vocal goalkeeper and have been ever since I was little. I like to motivate and direct my players on and off the field. I do so by expressing positive, informative comments during training and games.
As for my academics, I have been persistent with my grades through all my 10 years of school, finding myself on the honor roll for all three years in Middle School. This year I was recognized by my school for keeping a high GPA throughout my whole school soccer season. I also received a "Green and White award" at Homestead for being a well-rounded student both academically and as a person.
I grew up, and still am, very family-oriented which has made me into the compassionate person I am today. My coaches (current and past) have picked me to be captain because of my strong leadership qualities and ability to bring a team together. I would also like to consider myself a coachable athlete, always willing to take criticism to become a better player.
During my time off of the field, I run a non-profit organization that helps athletes under 18 play club soccer at little to no expense through scholarships. So far we have raised about $500, but I am looking to expand the organization and raise more money in the future.
Ever since I've started soccer, I've aspired to become the best athlete I could possibly be. I am determined to play at the highest level possible until the end of my soccer career. I will continue to strengthen my weaknesses and work on fixing my mistakes so I can eventually achieve this goal and more.
