Fernanda Castro '23 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing sports ever since I was 9. I have done gymnastics, swimming, and track– in addition to soccer. Soccer just seemed to click with me instantly. I started off playing with the boys' u-12 team at age 12 and at age 13 I was recruited for the women's varsity team and invited to join the AASCA 2017 Soccer Tournament. I was the youngest player ever admitted to such a big-scale tournament and as such, I am grateful for the opportunity to play with teams from all over Central America. Following my journey, I never missed a day of practice; I knew I could still improve and my coaches gave the perfect leeway for me to do so.  I could see myself improving with every day, but it still felt as if I wasn't doing enough. My resources didn't allow me to join a private club or hire a private coach, so I took advantage of what my school offered me. This is when I joined the track team. I did track for two years– managing at missing one day of practice a week to train with the Track team. Through track, I was able to improve my speed and physical condition, both essential for any soccer player, but especially important for a wing player like myself. Then, Covid came. I feared the placed lockdown damaging all that I have built up. So, as soon as we were allowed to have practice again, I kept my commitment to the team and attended practice regularly, even if I was the only one showing up. I've had the opportunity of being both captain and vice-captain, opportunities which I used to become as exemplar of a player as I could. This year, I took on the role of goalkeeper, additionally to my position as an outside back to help my team in the upcoming AASCA 2022 Tournament. The extra training was draining, having to practice one extra hour every day compared to the rest of the team, but I knew that my hard work was paying off with how quickly I was improving in my position and how that was transferring to my play as outside back as well.

 I truly do love soccer. I was told my whole life that there was no future with it as an international student and so, I never had the opportunity to play in camps internationally. I never left my studies behind. To this day, I am one of the top 10 students in my grade with my GPA never dropping below a 4. I regularly take AP and honors classes, as I thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment. Were I to be recruited, I will never drop my grades or commitment and performance with the team.