The Rising Star: Graycie Serpa’s Journey as a Sophomore on Varsity Girls Soccer

Graycie Serpa, ’26, a member of Redwood’s Girls Varsity soccer team, showcases exceptional talent and determination as she navigates the challenges of competing at such a high level at a young age.

By Sophia Rexhepi

Imagine playing soccer in a huge open field. All eyes are on you for the first time. You are expected to compete at an elevated level when you are young and not used to such high expectations. The pressure to succeed is at an all-time high. Your teammates are depending on you to be a driving force to win the game.

The fear of losing is immense. The worry that you won’t play to your best capability is terrifying. How do you deal with all these stressors?

However, when you finally are on the field and the game starts, you get into your element; forgetting about the pressures put on you and just focusing on one thing, the ball.

Focusing on the ball makes you forget all the anxiety you had before and pushes you to demonstrate your skills. Running fast with the wind blowing through your hair and making excellent passes and goals that your teammates later congratulate you for.

You get a group hug from your teammates and all of a sudden you forget all the anxiety you felt before and remember the goal of the game isn’t just about winning. It’s about playing to your highest ability and being a good teammate.

Graycie Serpa, ’26, is a sophomore on Girls’ varsity soccer and has been playing soccer since Kindergarten. She plays the Forward position. Serpa is also a track star which helps her in the off-season.

This year is Serpa’s first year on varsity. Serpa says, “I like playing on varsity. It’s way more competitive than Junior Varsity. There’s a really big difference…The games are a lot more intense.”

Teamwork and community are everything when it comes to sports. Serpa says, “My favorite part is all the girls and the community. I love when all the girls come together and we’re in a group. I also like when Miller gets photos of us, it’s really cool. “

Serpa says there are some things she can improve on this season. Serpa says, “I honestly need to work on being more confident.”

Soccer has been a huge part of Serpa’s life. Serpa adds “I’ve grown up with soccer. My dad plays soccer, too, which pushed me to play.”

Playing a sport like soccer is great for improving skills in teamwork. Serpa says, “Soccer teaches me sportsmanship and has taught me how to deal with losing. I play for Crossfire, too. All my hard work has prepared me for varsity.”

The community around Redwood and its sports including soccer is also something very valuable to players. Serpa adds, “I love the team lunches and bonding we do… I think we’re pretty close as a team. We’re warming up to each other. I’m close to Lilah, Lainey, Paityn and Kwyn. I also like Leah, she’s really nice.”

On Friday, January 19th, Girls varsity soccer played against Golden West, where they won 5-0. Serpa got to play beginning halfway through the first half until the end of the game, during which she scored a goal. Serpa says, “It feels really nice winning. This game was supposed to be a harder game. I was nervous. I was surprised I went in so early. My favorite part of this game was when I scored a goal and everyone ran up to me. This game was memorable because home games are always fun. I feel like me and my team worked really well and adapted to who we were playing with this game.”

Before the game against Golden West, some young soccer players got to hang out with the Varsity girls. Serpa says “It feels really nice to be with the younger kids because when I was little I did the same thing, and now it’s me who they are here to see. It feels very nostalgic.”

Mr. Vieira, who teaches at Redwood has been the Girls’ varsity soccer coach for a long time and has worked with many different types of players over the years. Vieira says “I’ve taught at Redwood for 15 years. This is my twelfth season as a Varsity coach. I played soccer myself from youth up until high school.”

Vieira points out that he notices great strengths in Serpa, “She’s incredibly quick. Her speed is the thing that first stood out to us. She is very fast and with the ball she’s able to keep a high top speed.”

Not all players are the same. Each player has a unique personality that sets them apart. When commenting on Serpa’s spirit, Vieira says, “She has a quiet energy. She gets along great with the team but the energy she provides is more on her play and not on her voice. She impresses everyone with her speed, it hypes people up.”

This season has been filled with lots of injuries for Varsity. Vieira says, “Graycie has provided us with good depth. We’ve had a bunch of injuries this year and she has been able to stay healthy. Having her available has consistently helped. With a player like Graycie, her speed is a problem for other teams so we know when we put her in we’re gonna have a mismatch on her side because no one else is gonna be able to keep up with her.”

Vieira adds, “Graycie is coming out of her shell. Player development is not straight linear. I’ve noticed she responds well when she has an off match and it doesn’t affect her moving forward and that’s what you want to see.”

Roxy Bahr, ’24, has been playing soccer since she was 4 years old and has been on Varsity since her sophomore year. This year she is one of the team captains. Bahr says, “Being a captain is more or less being in charge but I think I have the same experience just being a team member. Overall, it’s really fun getting to know the newer girls.”

Bahr notes Graycie’s incredible gift of speed. Bahr says, “Graycie is one of the newer players. She definitely has a lot of speed which is her contribution to the team. Whether it’s in soccer or in track, she is one of, if not the fastest player we have.”

Bahr adds, “I see a little bit of myself in her from my sophomore year. She’s a little more shy and quiet, but I know that when she finds her confidence she will reach a different level of playing skills.”

Serpa’s journey in soccer has only just begun. It will be exciting to see what the future has in store for her and to watch her grow more and more in her skills. Her story serves as a reminder that confidence and great abilities do not have to be loud.

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