Lily Rangel '27 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Lily Rangel I play Center Defensive Midfield and Attacking Midfield. I was eight years old when I started playing soccer. It all started from going to see a USWNT game at the FC Dallas stadium, and seeing the passion and effort every single one of those players put into the game. They made soccer seem like the missing puzzle piece in my life. Ever since then, I’ve never wanted to pursue something more.  I played hard my first six years of playing on recreational and club teams, physically and mentally. I have great ball control with both legs, great leadership skills, and have a good ability to be coachable. I would also say these traits come from previous multiple activities I was a part of such as theater, volleyball, basketball, track, and cheer where I was Co-Captain which helped my communication skills and shaped me into the player I am now.  But while being included in such activities, I unfortunately tore my left legs ACL and was told I could not return to playing soccer for a year. I had a million thoughts running through my head. But even then, only one really stuck in my head, I needed to get back to soccer.  Through this process of recovery, I learned about how to keep my patience through physical therapy, how to keep a positive mindset through the tough times, and how to appreciate the small victories along the way even if it was bending my leg 10 degrees more than the week before. I took these new lessons into school and soccer. That’s when I came back to my club team ten and a half months after surgery mentally stronger than I was before now working as hard as I can to play my goal at a collegiate level.