When Santa Maria High School soccer coach Jose Navarro was asked to describe senior sweeper Osvaldo Aquino, he responded with one word: “heart.”
A captain of the team, Aquino leads the Saints’ defense with an energy that affects the whole team.
“He loves coming to play, he never gives up,” Navarro said.
Aquino’s teammates chimed in to say that their captain is a good leader and that he practices just as hard as he plays. With Aquino as the driving force in their defense, the Saints have plowed through the Los Padres League (they are currently 11-0).
Ask Aquino to describe a soccer game in three words and he will say “passion, heart, [and] mentality.” But if you ask Aquino why he loves soccer so much, he will tell you that it’s a love he can’t quite put in words.
“My dad used to play. I’ve been playing my whole life,” he said. “I love people watching us play and working as a team.”
For this senior, the rush of playing soccer comes from the team aspect and the importance of staying positive.
“In soccer if one person comes down, the whole team comes down. You have to have a good attitude,” Aquino said.
This season, Aquino said the team has been focusing on a league championship title and on improving communication.
“We have been really aggressive, which is good,” Aquino said. “We need to stay vocal. We have been doing that a lot and it’s what helps us win.”
Aquino said the Saints’ toughest competition will be Santa Ynez High School, which they already defeated 3-0 earlier in the season. This year Aquino has enjoyed the support from fans; he likes that people have a good time watching the team play.
Aquino said he is vocal as a captain, but tries to lead by example as well. He has learned from his coach to always leave it on the field.
“You have to be aggressive in soccer and communicate,” Aquino said. “You have to want to play because it is hard. The team just works better when everyone wants to play.”
This article appears in Jan 23-30, 2014.
