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As the world evolves and
our population grows,
more and more
opportunities become
available for Latinas,
and not the least of
them are in, yes, sports!
Meet Stephanie Lopez and
Amy Joy Rodriguez,
rising soccer stars on
the sensational U.S.
Women’s National Team,
currently the world’s
foremost ranked female
soccer team, which took
home the gold medal in
Athens at the 2004
Olympics, and most
recently won the coveted
2005 Algarve Cup in
Portugal. Not only do
these motivated young
women excel in their
sport, travel
internationally, and
compete alongside and
against some of the
greatest athletes in the
world; they also pursue
academic and personal
goals as well.
Lopez, a young
Californian of Mexican-American
and German descent, is a
defender on the U.S.
Women’s National Team
and a sophomore at the
University of Portland,
where she is majoring in
psychology. Raised in a
large family with one
older brother, four
foster siblings and two
adopted younger brothers,
is strongly inspired by
her mother’s
compassionate giving as
a dedicated foster
parent. Lopez describes
herself as “easy-going,
down-to-earth and caring.”
Her dream is to someday
raise a family of her
own and work as a part-time
youth counselor—though
she plans to go on
playing soccer “for a
long, long time. “ |
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Stephanie Lopez/Photo
by Steve Gibbons |
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Acknowledging that
opportunities in
professional sports are
still limited for women,
Lopez reiterates the
importance of
concentrating on
academics because “it
can open so many more
doors for you.”
Nonetheless, she
envisions her athletic
career flourishing in
tandem with her personal
goals. The greatest
“soccer moment” in her
life so far has been
“putting on the National
Team jersey for the
first time.” |
Lopez’s minor at the University
of Portland is in Spanish, and
she hopes to play professionally
someday, perhaps for a team in a
Spanish-speaking country. She
plans to travel around Europe
after she graduates from college
and would like to learn to play
a musical instrument. Her
wildest fantasy is to try
skydiving.
Grateful for her family’s
undying support, as well as for
the example that her parents
have set for her as role models,
Lopez has a good grasp on time
management and the art of
prioritizing her activities. Her
greatest asset as a key
defensive player on the soccer
field is her ability to maintain
her composure. “My dad was
always encouraging me to be my
best, but at the same time
encouraging me to have fun
reaching my potential. It is
important to know when to push
and when to hold back,” she says.
“I should always be working in
soccer, but I know I can’t do it
all the time or I get burned
out. The academics help with
that balance.”
Rodriguez, a forward on the U.S.
Women’s National Team, graduated
from Rancho Santa Margarita
Catholic High School in
California last year and is a
freshman at the University of
Southern California (USC).
Rodriguez was the youngest
player on the U.S. Women’s
National Team roster at the
prestigious Algarve Cup
tournament. She was also named
the 2004 Gatorade National High
School Girls Soccer Player of
the Year. In order to earn this
tremendous honor, which
essentially categorizes her as
the best female high-school
soccer player in the country,
Rodriguez was elected from a
pool of over 300,000 female high-school
soccer players nationwide.
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Like teammate Lopez,
Rodriguez feels that her
career as an athlete has
been nurtured by the
support and
encouragement she has
received from her family.
The oldest of three
siblings, Rodriguez is
half Cuban-American and
speaks “a bit of Spanish.”
She grew up in Southern
California, where she
has lived all her life,
in a family of talented
athletes. Rodriguez’s
younger sister also
plays soccer and her
younger brother plays
golf. “My parents have
been super supportive
and my number one fans,”
says Rodriguez. “They’ve
always encouraged me to
live up to my potential,”
When asked if there is
anyone in her personal
life that she considers
a mentor, Rodriguez’s
quick answer is “my
grandma.”
But Rodriguez also
admires a number of
athletes who have
influenced her game and
attitude throughout life.
Growing up, she strongly
admired Mia Hamm and
Michael Jordan, Recently,
while training in
Portugal with the
National Team, Rodriguez
had the opportunity to
play alongside the
legendary Abby Wambach,
one of the National
Team’s best known
players, and a key
figure in the Algarve
Cup victory in which the
U.S. women defeated
Germany, the top-ranked
team in the FIFA Women's
World Rankings. “After
playing with Abby and
seeing her personality
on the field, “ says
Rodriguez, “it motivates
me to try to bring my
game to her level and
one day be able to play
next to her consistently.
She’s so motivated that
it motivates me to
strive for better things.” |
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Amy Rodriguez/Photo by
U.S. Soccer |
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In addition to playing for the
National Team, Rodriguez has
recently developed an interest
in the fields of physical
therapy and athletic training.
She plans to major in business
administration and marketing at
USC. “I maybe see combining all
these interests in the future.
I’d like to work with athletes,
so I can see myself staying in
sports.”
What Rodriguez loves most about
playing soccer is the sheer
thrill of competition, and she
definitely dreams of playing
professionally. Known on the
field as a dynamic, explosive
offensive player, and off the
field as “outgoing and fun-loving,”
the petite Rodriguez, standing a
mere 5-foot-3 and known by her
teammates as “A-Rod,” was an All-League
and All-State selection and has
been named to the PARADE and
NSCAA All-American teams in each
of the past two seasons.
When she’s not on the field,
Rodriguez maintains A’s in
school and participated in the
Model United Nations program at
the Santa Margarita High School
Theatre. She enjoys wakeboarding
and camping in her spare time,
and, in addition to her
professional goals, would like
to get married and raise a
family someday.
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