Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer

What influence has soccer had in your life?

Soccer has been a major influence in my life. It has opened new doors on and off the field and has made me the person I am today.

Why do you believe that you were nominated for this award?

I believe I was nominated because I try my best to be a leader on and off the field and always give 110% effort in practices and games.

What do you enjoy most about playing for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club?

I like the coaching and enjoy playing soccer for a club where I can build connections and where I can play knowing someone is always there for me.

What soccer accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m proud of my progress, the tournaments I’ve won, and the ability to play at the level I’m playing at.

What academic achievement are you most proud of?

Getting in to good schools that I’m proud of and maintaining a good GPA.

How do you think your teammates would describe you?

They would probably describe me as a nice person who brings the team up no matter the situation. Someone who is there for them on and off the field.

What is something that shows your exemplary character, commitment to sportsmanship, community involvement, etc..?

I volunteer for the Allstars club and picking up trash. I notice that when I do these things it helps people in the community and brings me joy.

What’s your favorite soccer player and team?

My favorite soccer player is Christian Pulisic and favorite team is the Colorado Rapids.

What do you hope to pursue in the near future?

I hope to play soccer, help others, be happy, and travel the world.

Who inspires you and why? This can be someone famous or someone you know personally!

I would say my old coach, Charlie Bacha, made me the person I am today. He inspired me to become a better person and player. He is a big reason why I love soccer and work hard to improve.

What else do you enjoy outside of playing for CRYSC?

I enjoy fishing, skiing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Since 2018, CRYSC and UCHealth + CU Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have worked together in an effort to grow the safety and health resources that are available for Rapids Youth players and members.

As our partnership strengthens with UCHealth, we want to work together to highlight the amazing players within the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club with a monthly ‘Player of the Month’. Check out the criteria and nominate any players that deserve to be highlighted by UCHealth and CRYSC on the UCHealth Player of the Month page.

What influence has soccer had in your life?

I started soccer as a preschooler and learned the value of teamwork early. As I developed as a soccer player and became a full-time goalkeeper, I learned the importance of leadership and have continually worked to strengthen those skills. I now use those leadership skills in every aspect of my life, including school, extracurricular activities, and community service.

Why do you believe that you were nominated for this award?

I believe I was nominated for this award because I am committed and regularly demonstrate a strong ability to balance multiple school, sports, band, community service, and other extracurricular activities at a high level.

What do you enjoy most about playing for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club?

I have been fortunate and appreciate that I have had coaches who believed in me, supported my development, and encouraged me to become a stronger player, teammate, and goalkeeper.

What soccer accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud of saving two penalty kicks as we won the 2024 Rapids Classic championship game against a team that beat us earlier in the tournament.

What academic achievement are you most proud of?

I am most proud that I maintain a straight “A” average in all of my classes while also being involved in several extracurricular activities and playing competitive soccer and basketball.

How do you think your teammates would describe you?

A determined and hard working player.

What is something that shows your exemplary character, commitment to sportsmanship, community involvement, etc..?

I have played competitive sports for many years and have also been refereeing younger soccer teams for a couple of years. Many times, after games, I am approached by either parents or coaches from opposing teams or associated with the teams I am officiating expressing gratitude toward my efforts, attitude, and sportsmanship.

What’s your favorite soccer player and team?

Alyssa Naeher and the USWNT.

What do you hope to pursue in the near future?

I would like to obtain a degree in meteorology and work for the National Weather Service.

Who inspires you and why? This can be someone famous or someone you know personally!

I’m a big Patrick Mahomes fan and am inspired by his sportsmanship, dedication, and leadership both on the field and in his community.

What else do you enjoy outside of playing for CRYSC?

I enjoy traveling with my family as often as possible and hanging out with friends. I like to ski and snowboard in my free time.

Since 2018, CRYSC and UCHealth + CU Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have worked together in an effort to grow the safety and health resources that are available for Rapids Youth players and members.

As our partnership strengthens with UCHealth, we want to work together to highlight the amazing players within the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club with a monthly ‘Player of the Month’. Check out the criteria and nominate any players that deserve to be highlighted by UCHealth and CRYSC on the UCHealth Player of the Month page.

What influence has soccer had in your life?

I have been playing soccer since I was three. When I started playing soccer, I used to “pass” corner kicks to myself and then try to score. I’ve always played soccer with a lot of joy and passion. This wonderful sport taught me discipline, focus, and teamwork. I learned to balance sports and academics. I made many friends, met new people, and traveled to cool places.

Why do you believe that you were nominated for this award?

I believe I was nominated for this award because I am dedicated to improving my technical, tactical, physical parts of my game; at the same time, I am a team player by supporting and uplifting my teammates.

What do you enjoy most about playing for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club?

I love my experience at Rapids and the lifelong friends I made. I’ve had numerous Rapids coaches support me which built my character and made me a better player.

What soccer accomplishment are you most proud of?

My Rapids teammates and I won P1 several times, reached regionals and nationals with my EDS and ECNL-RL teams. I made the ECRL Boys All Around Conference team. I’ve been part of the Varsity team at Lakewood High School since I was a freshman and I am team captain now. When I was a sophomore, my Varsity team beat the no. 1 team in Colorado during playoffs. I trained many summers in Romania and received valuable advice from my coach there; I also trained with a second league team.

What academic achievement are you most proud of?

I approach school the same way I approach soccer, with a high standard. My academic accolades include memberships to National Honors Society (NHS) and National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). I’m proud of my work in STEM subjects: I plan to finish high school with Calculus III done along with AP Physics and AP Chemistry.

How do you think your teammates would describe you?

I hope my teammates describe me as a humble, hardworking player, supporting the team. They would probably also say I’m funny, kind, and calm. Their friendship means a lot.

What is something that shows your exemplary character, commitment to sportsmanship, community involvement, etc..?

On and off the field, I try to be a role model to my teammates and give them positive advice. My high school coach encourages the Varsity team to play soccer with students with disabilities and so, every season, we play with amazing kids. At my high school, I founded the weightlifting club; I am a tutor and a leader guiding freshmen. I also volunteer to different events organized by the Romanian community in Colorado.

What’s your favorite soccer player and team?

I am a Barcelona and Messi fan. Messi stayed positive, constantly improved his game, and carried his teams towards winning Champions League, World Cup and Copa America. I also admire players like Ronaldinho, Xavi, Modric, Pirlo, Iniesta, Kroos, De Bruyne; their ingenuity and visionary passes improved the sport. As a football fan, I enjoyed touring Camp Nou one summer and attending EURO 2024 in Germany and watching some great matches live. I saw Luka Modric, Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Carvajal, Gvardiol, Mudryk, Dragusin, etc.

What do you hope to pursue in the near future?

A career in STEM. I see myself a scientist, an engineer, or a physicist.

Who inspires you and why? This can be someone famous or someone you know personally!

My parents inspire me; they taught me to prioritize academics and find a balance between school and soccer, one that benefits both. Without soccer, I would not be a good student and vice versa. My grandfather encouraged me to play with both feet, with my head up and told me to play “fara frica” (no fear). My coaches, many of them at Rapids, improved my game and helped me grow as a player.

What else do you enjoy outside of playing for CRYSC?

Apart from watching soccer, I enjoy watching basketball and tennis. I enjoy going to high school sports, especially the football games. I like going out with my friends; we play pickleball and tennis and we also go on hikes in the mountains. I spend time with my parents and my brother and I love traveling with my family.

Since 2018, CRYSC and UCHealth + CU Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have worked together in an effort to grow the safety and health resources that are available for Rapids Youth players and members.

As our partnership strengthens with UCHealth, we want to work together to highlight the amazing players within the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club with a monthly ‘Player of the Month’. Check out the criteria and nominate any players that deserve to be highlighted by UCHealth and CRYSC on the UCHealth Player of the Month page.

If you have any questions about these trips or would like more information, please reach out to CRYSC Director of International Travel, Jeff Oleck, at [email protected] or 303.834.7328

What influence has soccer had in your life?

Soccer has taught me discipline, teamwork, and how to be tough. These things are applied to my life everyday weather it be at school, home, or in my friendships. Soccer is something I get to look forward to at the end of the day, because I get to be with supportive team/coaches, and I have a good way to work out any emotions from the day through training. It plays a huge role in my mental health as well.

Why do you believe that you were nominated for this award?

I believe I was nominated for the August 2024 UCHelath player of the month award because of the way I listen to my coaches, treat my teammates, and because of my hard work in school and soccer. As a goalie, I not only feel responsible for directing my teammates but also keeping their energy up, weather we are winning or losing. Its harder try to comeback when you are down points, but the energy on the field makes a huge difference. I congratulate my teammates when they do good, and make sure to be respectful when they need to fix something. This past season especially, I have been working hard to be a better goalie for my team and myself. I want to keep getting better and the only way to do that is work hard and stay focused in practice, so I always try to do that. A huge part of getting better is listening to my coaches, so when I am attentive and listening I will know what to do and coaches notice that.

What do you enjoy most about playing for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club?

My favorite part of playing for Rapids is the Goalie Program. I not only get to meet people of all ages and teams, but I get to work with people who understand my position and therefor can help me improve. The goalie coaches are especially helpful to me in practice and on the field because they know my habits and how to correct them.

What soccer accomplishment are you most proud of?

The soccer accomplishment I am most proud of is making the girls 2010 NPL team this past year. I had never played full-time goalie before, and being chosen for my goal keeper skills for this team was a huge honor. I am proud of this because even when times were hard, I made sure to show up to practice and give it my all. A goal I wanted to achieve was to move up form select, so making the team was a big deal for me.

What academic achievement are you most proud of?

The academic achievement I am most proud of is not only making it into my middle schools National Junior Honor Society for my grades and characteristics, but also becoming Historian of the society. I am proud of this because it took a lot of courage for me to run for the position, and I believe while I was historian I made my fellow members feel included and needed. In this position I got to work in community service, and do things such as plan a fundraiser, read to little kids, and even paint our schools courtyard. Planning and doing all these things made me feel like a good person.

How do you think your teammates would describe you?

My teammates would describe me as energetic, supportive, kind, tough and unique. I pride myself in bringing good energy before, during, and after practice an games. I try to keep my teammates heads up after a loss, and make sure to get them hype before games. A lot of my teammates would say that my humor brings a lot of energy to the team as well. I always try to be supportive and kind during practices, especially when we have a new player or we all are learning something new. Trying out with a new team can be very scary, but when I was going through this process, I was always grateful for that one person who introduces themselves to you, so I always try to be that person to other people. My teammates can count on me to work my hardest and stay calm when pressures are high, and they will all tell you I will always get up after a hard hit.

What is something that shows your exemplary character, commitment to sportsmanship, community involvement, etc..?

A story that shows my character is when I had to fill in for a relay at my district track meet this past May. It was the day of the meet, and my coach pulled me out of class in the middle of the day to ask if I wanted to run the first leg of the 4X100 relay because the girl who was supposed to was injured. I said yes because I knew i was his first ask so therefor he was counting on me. I was super nervous because I didn’t want to let my team down, and the relay team had never lost. I was getting more and more nervous as we got closer to the meet, but I kept trying to focus on just running fast an giving it my all. The time finally came and me and three other girls lined up in our spots. The gun went off and I ran as fast as I could and then handed off my baton. I felt proud because I knew I did my best an our team ended up coming in second.

What’s your favorite soccer player and team?

My favoirte soccer team Is the San Diego Wave and my favorite player is Alyssa Naeher

What do you hope to pursue in the near future?

I hope to be a Physical Therapist or Nutritionist when I grow up.

Who inspires you and why? This can be someone famous or someone you know personally!

My old soccer coach (Coach Ashley) Inspires me because she is so hardworking and always has the best advice. She was a D1 soccer player at CU Boulder but now works with Bill Gates for Microsoft, and she not only has taught me where hard work can get you, but also how to have fun along the way. She is someone I will always look up to.

What else do you enjoy outside of playing for CRYSC?

Outside of soccer, I like to mountain bike, run read. I mountain bike competitively and I love to read mystery novels.

Since 2018, CRYSC and UCHealth + CU Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have worked together in an effort to grow the safety and health resources that are available for Rapids Youth players and members.

As our partnership strengthens with UCHealth, we want to work together to highlight the amazing players within the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club with a monthly ‘Player of the Month’. Check out the criteria and nominate any players that deserve to be highlighted by UCHealth and CRYSC on the UCHealth Player of the Month page.