Izzy Vargas '25 Recruiting Profile

Some of my best memories come from the field, from playing games to the life-long friendships that I have formed. Ironically, some of my worst memories have also come from the field. A year and a half ago, I tore my ACL during an ECNL game. I needed surgery and was told I would be out for a year or more. During my recovery, I battled both physically and mentally. While I never doubted my return, people would say I would never be the same player I was before. Those in my corner helped me believe in myself. They helped me realize that I could work hard and attack everything with a positive attitude/intensity and come back stronger. As such, my goal throughout the months of recovery was to prove those who doubted me wrong. I changed my mindset and work rate. My days were filled with physical therapy, one on one soccer sessions, and conditioning classes. I am proud to say, I have accomplished my goal. I am back, stronger than ever, and proved those who doubted me wrong. I learned many things from my injury and subsequent recovery but the most important was how much I love the game of soccer. Watching and waiting for a year was extremely hard. I will never again take playing the game, which has shaped me into the person I am, for granted. When I play I play as if it is the last time I’m going to play the game I love. In summary, I learned a lot about dealing with adversity and who I am due to my injury. I developed a mindset to overcome obstacles and achieve my goals…achieve my dreams. My next goal is to play college soccer and I will attack that goal the same way I overcame my injury!