Itzy Pinon (No. 8, pictured above) just wrapped up her senior season of soccer at Righetti High School with an impressive 14 goals on the year and helped lead her team to a second-place finish in the Pac 7 conference.
The talented forward started playing soccer when she was 5 years old; she said that the last 13 years of her career have been centered on a commitment to improving her skills.
“To be successful in soccer, you need to be willing to work hard every day at practice, and you have to have a desire to become a better player and teammate,” Pinon said.
A credit to her competitiveness, Pinon’s longtime dedication to improving at soccer comes from a desire to be successful.
“When I’m in the game all I can think about is what I’m going to do to help my team win the game,” she said.
Pinon also believes her overall drive and willingness to give her best effort are intangibles that make her a good player.
“I think I bring a source of motivation to my team. Whether I’m pressuring the ball up top, or scoring a goal, I’m always giving 100 percent, and that helps to pump up my other teammates on the field,” she said.
Like most players coming into the 2012-13 season, Pinon had a few things she wanted to accomplish.
“My goals were to improve my skills and have a great time with my teammates. I also wanted to finish better around the net, and I feel like I accomplished those things,” Pinon said. “I am proud of my teammates and we had fun all the way until the end.”
With her senior season now over, Pinon said she’ll miss competing at a high level against talented athletes. She added that she’d miss the unbelievable feeling she gets every time she scores a goal. Though it won’t be easy walking away from the game, Pinon hopes to stay connected with soccer in the future.
“My plan is to coach kids in a younger soccer league,” she explained. “That will be fun for me.”
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2013.