With sweat dripping down her forehead and the relentless sun striking her back, Emely Romero’s heart races as she revs up to take the shot. The soccer ball bounces between her feet, and the goal is in sight.
CVHS Senior Emely Romero recalls, “At the time I was a sophomore, I had [the chance to score], but on the other end of the goal, I saw my friend. She was a senior at the time, so I knew it would mean a lot more for her to score than me.”
At only three years old, Romero began playing soccer in the Sunday league due to her dad’s encouragement. While not fully invested, Romero continued to play the sport, as it allowed her to stay close with him throughout the years. Soccer was one of the things that was constant in a world full of change.
Romero has played soccer throughout her life and had no plans to stop when she arrived at CVHS. During her freshman year, Romero played on the girls soccer team for a club, where she met some of her closest friends. In Romero’s sophomore year, the club became a University Interscholastic League team.
“At first, the transition was a little bit rough, because [in] club [soccer] we were playing against schools that were not as competitive, so we would win easily. [We won] fifteen to zero, without it being tough. But when we transitioned to UIL, we were going against schools that had funding and practiced a lot more, so it was harder,” Romero said.
Having been around since the start of University Interscholastic League girls soccer, she witnessed all the twists and turns as the team navigated the new competition. Sophomore year, Romero was co-captain/captain and made a consistent effort to step up and fill the shoes of the lead captains. Whenever the team needed encouragement during a warmup, she was there. If the team was down by one or two points, Romero would fight to raise the spirits of her girls.
Providing constant support to her teammates was not an easy feat to achieve, yet Romero remained dedicated. She knew that a strong sense of camaraderie was important to the flow of the team. Romero made an effort to ensure her teammates could feel vulnerable and open with one another, whether that be about their teamwork on the field or issues outside of the game.
“There are a lot of new freshmen and sophomores who joined the team, and they look up to me. Not only [with] soccer related [information] but also girl stuff. They want my advice. It’s been nice having to learn to look out not only for yourself but for others,” Romero said.
As the referee blows the whistle to end the soccer season, Romero stands at the edge of the field, with pride and joy in her team and what they have accomplished. She has been not only a key player but a leader and a friend to all those who have needed it.
“Soccer isn’t just about the game, it’s about the people you get to play it with and the bond that grows between you.”
