By Marissa Goncalves
Senior Avery DiGiovanna—girls’ soccer captain—is ready to finish her last year strong with the sport she loves. The path there is an inspiring show of determination, strength, and passion, with a humble start that paved the way for a striking conclusion.
Beginning at ages seven or eight, DiGiovanna played on travel teams. Slowly but surely, she made her way into the middle school team in seventh and eighth grade. After years of practice and training, she took the next step and joined the high school girls’ team in her freshman year. The reason for starting the sport was simple: she liked trying new things.
“Neither of my parents did it, and neither did my brother. So it wasn’t a thing that was around me a lot. I think it was just when I was little, I kept trying new things and it was one of the things that stuck,” DiGiovanna commented.
Soccer stuck because it was fun for DiGiovanna. The sport allowed her to run with purpose. In addition to being fun, soccer is all about teamwork, not individuality. Bonds form, and with them, lasting friendships that she will carry after she finishes senior year. Teamwork is a cornerstone of her values. In being within a team, it isn’t just about working together on the field. DiGiovanna believes that being a team is all about understanding each other and placing trust in everyone.
“I’ve learned patience with other people because you can’t always control what they’re doing, so you have to trust your teammates and be patient with them even if they are not thinking the same way as you or doing exactly what you would do.”
Alongside her team, DiGiovanna has made lasting memories and accomplishments, all of which are thanks to the great teamwork that is shared between her and the other players. The team won NVLs not only in her freshman year, but also in her junior year. Even though she wasn’t on varsity freshman year or captain until senior year for her high school team, it was all the attributes soccer gave her and the other players that allowed them to gain these outstanding victories.
In her final year at Woodland, DiGiovanna plans to help her team secure more wins before she goes. She plans to strive for not only winning NVLs, but to also reach for states where they can show her skill and her team’s.
Unfortunately, this will be DiGiovanna’s last year playing the sport, but the things she took from soccer will be carried on throughout the rest of her life, of which she is certain. “It’s a very well-rounded sport that makes you focus on yourself when you practice and work on yourself, but it is also good to create a nice family within your team,” DiGiovonna reflected. “I’m just glad that what I learned in the past 10 years playing soccer has made me the person that I am today and that I will bring those attributes to other areas of my life.”
Photo by Clara Sweetland
