LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — The Florida Premier 2008 U15 Girls NPL soccer team finished their NPL league season undefeated (12-0) and have punched their ticket to NPL Nationals in Denver.
“They were looking to make a point,” first-year head coach Alex Venegas said.
These young ladies played with a chip on their shoulders this season.
“I think we got overlooked last year,” midfielder Sage Gilbert said. “I feel like that motivation really helped us to succeed so much this year.”
“We were just overlooked by a lot of coaches and all of the players that are above us in the leagues,” goalkeeper Kennedy Rasmussen added.
This team bounced back from a fifth-place finish last season and worked hard to finish at the top of their league standings this year.
“I think one of my philosophies is to build a chemistry, build that family-oriented feel inside the field,” Venegas said.
“[Venegas] makes us focus and not take anything as a joke,” Rasmussen said. “I mean, sometimes, we have fun. We always give 110% in practice and always game-like.
Keeping practice “game-like” will be key. The team won’t play a competitive game until nationals, beginning on July 5. Until then, it’s a lot of practice.
“Training is one of the most important parts of soccer,” Gilbert said. “I think this is good for us. We need to work as a team and strive as a team. So we can prepare for nationals.”
“We have strength and agility trainers coming, nutritionists coming, because of the change in elevation in Denver,” Venegas added. “We have big plans to be successful and represent Florida the right way.”
The team set up a GoFundMe page to help offset the cost of travel to Denver.
