Righetti High School senior Alexandra Stewart simply couldn’t envision her soccer career coming to an end after graduation. So, she decided to extend it another four years.
Stewart, a standout center midfielder for Righetti, signed a letter of intent on May 12 to play soccer for Cal Lutheran University next fall.
Stewart said the decision came very naturally to her.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4,” Stewart told the Sun. “I’ve never really not played soccer, so I couldn’t really imagine going to college not doing it.”
Stewart’s commitment to the sport gradually increased over the course of her childhood.
“I started with my mom and my dad on recreational teams,” Stewart said. “And then I went on to play club for the Crusaders Club, which really got me started. Then I moved on to the San Luis Obispo Storm, which is a college showcase team, and that’s where I got seen by a bunch of college coaches.”
College coaches liked what they saw, and offers began flying in for Stewart. She said she received a great deal of interest from schools on the East Coast, but that a serious health scare for her mother this year narrowed her choice to California schools only.
“It kind of made me realize I wanted to stay a little closer to home—it was a very scary time,” Stewart said. “I wanted to stay close so if anything ever did happen, I could be there.”
Stewart’s soccer journey wasn’t always smooth sailing. Righetti cycled through many soccer coaches during her four years. In her sophomore season—Stewart’s first on varsity—she volunteered to play center fullback instead of her best position, midfield, in order to get more playing time.
“I never played before, but I wanted to play,” she said.
The gamble paid off, and it was during that season that a SLO Storm scout recruited her to play for the club.
“I switched over after five years on the Crusaders because the Storm has a lot more visibility out in the school world,” she said.
Stewart told the Sun that the ceremony at Righetti for her letter of intent was nerve-wracking, but exciting. She’s looking forward to playing soccer at Cal Lutheran and exploring their undergrad research programs.
“It’s really exciting to finally have my dreams come true after working at it for a really long time,” Stewart said.
This article appears in May 19-26, 2016.