SAMANTHA LOPEZ
My Skills & Experience: Sports Edition
ABOUT ME
Hi everyone, my name is Samantha Lopez and I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California and I play soccer for the Women's Under-20 Mexican National Team. I've had the pleasure of traveling to Holland and Spain to represent Mexico while facing some of the best teams in Europe such as Holland, Spain, France and Germany. I've also had the amazing opportunity to go to England, Ireland, Portugal and Italy to play against some of the best teams around with SoCal Select, a traveling team.
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MY SOCCER CAREER
EARLY 2009
I began to play soccer when I was 6 years old. But unlike most players, my first year was solely dedicated to training with my older sister and dad.
EARLY 2010-LATE 2012
Throughout the week, I began to play for a boy's soccer club called Little Lightning FC. I played in this club from the time I was 7 years old up until I was 9.
2013-2016
When I was 9 almost 10 years old, I moved to the girl's side of soccer, playing with various different small clubs. I also began to run for a cross country club called Equalizers. While being part of this club,I qualified for the Junior Olympic Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, at one point, I held the record for the fastest 13-year old athlete for the 1500m with a time of 4:47. I also went to compete in a prestigious and arduous cross country race called Mt. Sac, winning the race as well as barely missing the record for that race by 2 seconds.
2017-EARLY 2021
For the next 4 years, I played for Strikers FC ECNL while training with the the boy's soccer team for my high school. I also did track-and-field and cross-country my freshman and sophomore year, making it to CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Qualifiers for the 400m and 3200m in track and to CIF State for cross country. I was also league champion both years I participated in both sports. I also went back and won Mt. Sac again my freshman year of high school. In the summer of my freshman year, I was part of a travel team that went to Europe, specifically England, Ireland, Italy and Portugal to play against many local teams in the area.
On my first day of school as a junior in September, I committed to California Baptist University, a division 1 school, on a full ride scholarship. A month later, I received my first invitation to play for the U-17 women's Mexican National Team for soccer. I started in many important friendlies including when we played against the Canadian National Team as well as against the Mexican club teams America, Puebla, Pumas and many other teams.
2021-TODAY
I have moved up from the U-17 women's National Team to the U-20s. In September, I had the privilege of going to Holland to represent Mexico in 2 friendly matches against the Holland National Team. Two months later, I had the honor of participating in the Costa Daurada Trophy tournament in Spain, where we played against France, Germany and Spain's National Teams.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Creekside Elementary (1st through 4th grade) and Walker Elementary (5th grade)
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Sierra Preparatory Academy
HIGH SCHOOL
Century High School
COLLEGE
California Baptist University
"Never to Suffer Would Never to Have Been Blessed"
Edgar Allan Poe
