Ava Cervantes '27 Recruiting Profile

My name is Ava Cervantes and I started playing soccer at 4 years old. My current club is English American Football Club (EAFC) in which I am playing for the Girls 2009 team. Prior to joining EAFC, I played for New York Rush. It was during my years of playing for Rush that I was hand selected to play for the Northeast Select G09 team at the Disney Presidents' Day Soccer tournament at Disney ESPN in Orlando, FL in February 2023. I was also selected by the General Manager of New York Rush to play at the DPL Showcase in Tampa, FL in March 2023. Along with playing club soccer, I play for my high-school varsity soccer team at John Jay High School. To describe myself as a player, I would say that I am very dedicated to the game, always looking for ways to improve, very coachable, a communicator on the field and importantly a team leader.  As to me on the field, I would say I am a versatile player when it comes to positions. My main positions are left & right wings and striker. I have a good field IQ which allows me to send solid through balls to open teammates. My anticipation on the field allows me to know when and where I want to send the ball, well before it's at my feet.

Outside of soccer, I also play lacrosse for both my varsity high school team as well as my club team (Yellow Jackets North). In the classroom, I maintain good grades, generally in the A's, and continue to challenge myself class wise throughout high-school. After school, I am a member of our Relay for Life, Best Buddies and Pickle Ball Clubs as well as serve as a Peer Leader for my High School.  In addition, each year I volunteer my time at the annual John Jay Futbol Club Labor Day Tournament (2 day tournament) which brings me great joy as I played at this tournament every year when I was a child.  I also volunteer throughout the year at the John Jay Youth Lacrosse clinics which again is rewarding to me as I enjoy teaching young children the basics of a sport like I was once taught when I attended these clinics as a young girl.  Another annual volunteering opportunity I always am a part of is Girls in Sports Day.  At this event, I make connections with girls in grades 1-6 and teach them what it’s like playing a high school sport.  Each year, I come off the field having made even more connections with the youth in my town and feel good teaching younger kids how fun it is having sports in your life, sharing information about being competitive, doing their best and also how I've made some of my closest friendships through the sports I play.   In the future, I will continue to volunteer as much as my schedule allows for as I like to give back to my community. Lastly, starting at the age of 14, I began working at Elev8 Athletics, which is our local facility which hosts athletic, academic and artistic events and birthday parties for the youth in our surrounding towns and during the summer months, I work for Waccabuc Country Club as a camp counselor.  With both of these jobs, my main responsibilities include creating a safe and engaging environment for the children attending the programs.  I feel that I play a crucial role in their overall development and enjoyment during their time in the various programs offered.

My goal as a student-athlete is to continue challenging myself athletically and academically throughout the remaining years of high school. With my dedication on and off the field, my end goal is to play college level soccer and be a beneficial addition to the team. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for me.