Freshmen Girls on JV Soccer: The Future Stars

Madison White, ’27, Tori Ochoa, ‘27, Natalie Ocana, ’27, and Kylie Vargas, ‘27, are breaking barriers and rising, unleashing their passion for the game.

By Ariana Lopez and Sophia Rodriguez

When Madison White, ’27, found out she had made the team White says, “During tryouts, it was really nerve-racking because there was a bunch of girls trying out. And then when I made the team, it finally felt good that all of my hard work after all of these years paid off because I’ve been wanting to make the high school soccer team ever since I started playing in elementary school.”

White says, “I do play club at a really high level so I was kind of used to the level that I was playing at and honestly I expected worse, I had to expect the worse, so I wasn’t disappointed.”

White says that in order to be prepared, “I asked my coaches if I could do extra training and any feedback and advice they could give me for tryouts.”

White found the passion from playing with a bunch of guys at recess and fell in love with the competitiveness of the game. She can’t wait to meet new people with the same passion she has for soccer.

White says “It feels good to win.”

Tori Ochoa, ’27, says, “In the beginning, I felt nervous but soon after I began gaining my confidence and playing better.”

Ochoa says “When I found out I made the team, I was happy but I wasn’t too surprised because I knew that I was playing to my full potential.”

Ochoa was nervous playing against older girls but says, “I believe in myself and I know have skills, I started making better passes and improving, and I just can’t wait to meet new people.”

She says her admiration for soccer all started from, “When I was around five years old. I tried it out and immediately fell in love. I enjoyed the game a lot, I enjoyed watching it, I enjoyed playing on the weekends and I did it just to continue.”

Ochoa says “I prepared myself by doing cross-country to condition myself a lot because that’s something that I struggled with, which I feel helped a lot. I also watched some games with my dad when Mexico played to kind of learn more.”

She says “This season I am looking forward to the games and meeting new players and trying to win overall, hopefully scoring a lot of goals. Maybe being the top goal scorer.”

Ochoa says, “My favorite part of the game is the adrenaline rush and everything. Knowing that you’re on the team and being able to put all of your effort into the game and winning with the team.”

She says “I honestly feel like club does not matter to me because I know I could be as best as them and even better when I put my all in. I know I could be a great player when I try my hardest.”

Ochoa says “I was nervous at first because all of the girls played club but I know that I can be on that level when I try my hardest.”

Natalie Ocana, ’27, talks about how she had felt during tryouts. She says “During tryouts, it was fast-paced. There were a lot of girls but the skills and drills they did really made me feel comfortable.”

Ocana says she “was competing with sophomores [so] there was a big performance difference, but other than that it felt like a challenge to test my athletic ability.”

“I have been playing my whole life and I wanted to be more involved with Redwood,” says Ocana when talking about why she tried out for soccer.

Something Ocana says she has been looking forward to for her first season playing for Redwood is “wanting to get better at soccer, perform with all my new teammates, and make sure we win every game possible.”

Kylie Vargas, ’27, says she “felt really nervous because some of the girls are a lot better than me. I felt like I also had a better chance at it for [playing defense]. When I made the team I felt a lot better and a lot of pressure was relieved.”

Vargas says that competing against older kids for a spot on the roster “felt nerve-racking and it made me feel better about myself. I knew some of the girls so I was messing around with them, but also being aggressive because I know I can go all out.”

To prepare for tryouts, Vargas says “I listen to music, talked with my mom and we had talked about our feelings and she gave me an idea with how she wanted me to play during these soccer tryouts.”

Vargas says “I fell in love with soccer when I was little and I just kept going with it.”

When asked about what Vargas is looking forward to this upcoming season, she says “the friendships, the new team, and looking out for each other on and off the field.”

Tags: #soccer, girls soccer, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood rangers, redwood sports