Milena Branco '22 Recruiting Profile

I am a 2022 graduate from Saint Thomas Of Villanova College in King City, Ontario. I currently play for Vaughan Azzurri  Soccer Club and training/playing with High Performance has a Center Forward and Wide Left/right attacker. I first touched the pitch at the age of 5 (2009- 2011- summers) for Caledon FC ( Timbits/house league) then quickly moved onto playing REP  for Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club at the age of  8 -12/13 (2011/2012-2016) .  Then our whole team moved to BRYST Academy with our head coach  Demitri Ovtchinniokv from Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club. After a short season with BRYST I realized, I needed to be in a new environment with different coaches and players. At the same, I was sad to leave because we were a great group of girls with an amazing coach that taught me well but I knew that I had to begin a new chapter. The same year I started trying out for teams such has;  Vaughan Azzurri, Aurora Stingers, and the Woodbridge Strikers. I made the decision that Vaughan Azzurri was the right fit and earned a spot knowing that I can see a future in my development.  I am the type of player to scare the defender and take any of them on, beating them with my footwork and speed to the net.  I am a dangerous center-forward when it comes to the CB having the ball, I aggressively force them to make a mistake and then win it.  Another main strength of mine is that I am dominant on both feet. I was a naturally left-footed player until I fractured it and started playing more with my right. Now being dominant with both feet I can play anywhere up top knowing in a situation what foot to use. 

My goals and aspirations comprise playing for D1 University then hopefully signing with a professional team in  America, Europe or playing for my country; Canada.  Academically, I strive every day to work hard and achieve high honors every year. My current GPA from grade 10 is a 4.0 and I plan to achieve the same if not higher for this year. My objective is to study and get a degree in Athletic training/Exercise Science then later earning my coaching license. 

Throughout my years of being a woman in the world,  I consider myself a feminist. Playing a "male dominate" sport my attitude has changed over the years from being a regular girl to a woman who speaks up for other women, due to coming from an amazing role model my mother who is also been in a "men's" industry. Not only have I  learned that women are who they are but I also learn to be a leader and never a follower. On the pitch, I mentally push myself and my teammates by being loud, energetic, and rough. Off the pitch, I am the exact same person once you know me.