Alina Otero '22 Recruiting Profile

    Since I was a young child, everyone knew I was destined to be an athlete.  My grandpa has always said that I have so much athletic ability and will boast about how he has seen these abilities, since I was little. My mom has always teased me and I laugh when she tells me the story of how I would always like to run super fast wherever I went and I would look out of the side of my eye to see who was watching.  I am actually a pretty fast and conditioned runner.  I ended my 8th grade year with running the mile at 7.5minutes in about 100 degree weather.   I was honored in receiving athlete of the year from my middle school PE teachers at Desert Ridge Academy in Indio, Ca.  They chose me out of 300+ students in my grade level for both years. 

    Going back a few years, I really began to see that I was an athlete when I joined Action All-Star Cheer out of Palm Desert, Ca.  I would travel to places like Arizona, Nevada, and throughout California to compete against other teams all around the nation.  My cheerleading coaches would continuously condition me and I learned how to dance, jump, stunt, and tumble.  I was working on a round off, backhand spring, back tuck to be a Level 3 cheerleader-it takes a lot of dedication and athleticism to become good at these skills.  We took a few National Championships during my cheerleading career.  After about 4 years, I stopped cheering because the owners of the cheer gym sold the Action All-Stars to a gymnastics gym after being open for 10 years.

    This was the point where I began my softball career, well actually I played tee ball and hated it as a 5 year old...LOL! Finally, I came to my senses at around 12 years old and told my parents I was ready to try softball, since my dad would always bug me about trying it out anyway.  I was also inspired to try out softball because the softball field is where my parents met. So, I began playing softball for the City of Palm Desert's Recreation program.  I won two league championships and made all-stars my 2nd year, although the team did not play because players did not commit to play for the summer.  After my 2nd year of playing, my parents were ready to challenge me and decided to sign me up for travel softball.  I started with So. Cal Dynasty playing for Art Lilly, which gave me exposure to the travel ball life.  I then moved on to play for So. Cal Athletics for Andy Bañuelos.  I was my team's starting centerfielder, my coaches really helped me gain the skills to become a solid defensive centerfielder.  I was perfect for this position because I am fast and have a strong arm, which are two of my greatest strengths.

    I currently play for the So Cal Choppers-Ensey out of Cerritos, California and really love the level of play that my team plays at.  We have one scrappy team with a lot of depth and heart to win!!  I just currently made the team and feel like I fit in perfectly with the team. They made me feel accepted and made me feel a part of their family right away.  I play outfield and will have to work extra hard to become the starter because I just made the team.  I am always up for a challenge!

I've learned a lot about myself in the past few years.  I've learned that playing softball has made me stronger as a person because you have to have self discipline and work extra hard not only on the field, but off the field as well.  I have become so much stronger as a person by not letting what others say about me affect the way I feel about myself.  I had an instance when I worked out with some high school girls when I was a 7th grader and they made fun of me because I wasn't as good as them.  That experience put a "fire in me" and I wanted to prove any naysayer wrong.  It made me want to work harder and become an amazing softball player, which although I still have a ton to learn; I have come a long way from that experience.  Softball has helped me understand that I must have a strong mindset to know that I can't be perfect, and having moments of failure are actually learning experiences that are making me stronger and helping me fight through any hurdles I may encounter in life. Having a growth mindset will only make me become a better person and athlete through the learning experiences and all of my successes and failures. 

My goals in high school is to try to attain a 4.0 or higher throughout my four years and play different sports at my high school like: softball, volleyball, track, and possibly cross country.  I feel that trying different sports will make me well-rounded as an athlete.  I am going to a college preparatory Jesuit high school and know that I will be extremely challenged and it will be difficult at times, but I must push through and ask for help if needed.  I want to try out honors and advanced placement classes to help me with college credit and to help boost my GPA.  For college, I want to become a nurse, especially after my dad being in ICU for 10 days (September-October 2019.) I want to help people and take care of those who are sick and need my expertise to help cure them, etc...