By Marissa Goncalves
If anyone knows how to crush competition with style, it would most certainly be Ava Napiello, girl’s soccer captain. With years of practice to excel in the sport, she has made a name for herself as an unstoppable force.
Napiello’s introduction to soccer was through family. With her brother playing, she began around the ages 6 and 7. She moved on to play at Long River middle school for seventh and eighth grade before moving up to Woodland Regional High School, where she managed to secure her spot on varsity in her freshman year, despite not getting a ton of time to strut her abilities on the field. However, by sophomore year she got more playing time so when she became a junior, she got the role of junior captain with ease. The reason for her success, and the reason she stayed was her aggression.
“When I’m angry at all, I just go out on the soccer field and just be aggressive. Soccer also makes me feel like I’m in a different place,” Napiello declared, fire in her eyes.
Napiello is a star player, but skill like that is never immediate. It takes time, effort, and a willingness to learn from faults not seen in many. She has learned that soccer isn’t straightforward, and she will fall down, but Napiello overcame each hurdle, taking advice from the sport for which she has grown fond.
“I’ve learned teamwork, that you need to work together as a team. I learned respect, such as respecting coaches. I’ve learned leadership,” Napiello explained. “If you want to be captain, that’s all just something you have to know. They’re skills you need to be a leader.”
Every lesson was worth it, because Napiello has a power on the field and an unbreakable spirit that makes her a force to be reckoned with. She has not only won NVls as a freshman and a junior, but has many goals for her senior year as well. As a team, it’s all about emotion. In a sport, Nappiello knows that while you can win the game, it’s not worth it if you’re too poor a sportsman to be worth the fight. As a player, she recognizes how grateful she is for her team. Napiello is sure of soccer, but she is even more certain that emotion is the biggest factor.
“As a team, we want to do better with our attitude and keeping our composure. Sometimes we tend to get out of that. As a player, it’s just being able to build a relationship with all the players on the team. It’s the biggest part of being on a team; it’s not necessarily the skill. You always want the skill too but being connected with your teammates is bigger.”
On the downside, this season will unfortunately be Napiello’s last season kicking a soccer ball in school, deciding not to pursue it in college. That doesn’t mean her legacy is over. Napiello, a model for the perfect player, will always have the sport and the connection she made to it.
“There are a lot of factors that come with soccer. You can stay and shape, stay fit, build relationships, and make friends. It’s easier with a team,” Nappielo reassures. “I’m just going to make the last moments last. I will make the moments last and live it to the fullest.”
