By OkayGoal 
This summer marked one of the biggest milestones of my soccer journey so far. I turned up the intensity, mentally and physically, and earned a roster spot on an England travel roster with my Northern California development program.
In previous years, I hadn’t made the cut for the Gothia Cup travel rosters to Sweden. After about two years in the program, I was dropped from the training program altogether. It was tough. But this past year, after working hard at the club level and with the support of two coaches who believed in my potential, I was invited back.
That comeback meant everything. This year, there were two European rosters: U14–U16 to Sweden for the Gothia Cup, and for the first time ever, a U16–U17 team traveling to England to face women’s Super League academies, including Manchester United, Aston Villa, Everton, and Brighton. I made the roster of 18 players bound for England.
Making it back into this player development program wasn’t just about improving my performance. It was more about self-discovery, self-awareness, accountability, and growing up. I had to be honest with myself and admit I’d been overdoing it and overtraining, thinking more hours automatically meant better results. It didn’t. I was burnt out, tired, and my explosiveness, key for a goalkeeper, had faded.
After I was dropped from the program, I started asking the right questions: what went wrong? What was controllable? I then rebuilt my training plan, adding rest days, sleeping more, eating better, and cutting down on the double and triple training sessions. One of my coaches, who honestly is becoming a life coach too, helped me realize what I was doing wasn’t sustainable. He reminded me that he believed in me, like he always does when I hit setbacks.
A year of consistency paid off. I earned my spot back on the development program and this time, on the European roster. And England is where it all came together.
The trip to England was incredible. It was everything I’d imagined and dreamed of as a kid, where I’d pictured myself like some of the top USWNT GK’s, traveling the world and competing at the highest levels. And now suddenly, I was actually there, playing against Manchester United’s U21 women’s team and stepping onto soccer pitches and facilities seen on TV, like Aston Villa and Everton. It felt surreal.
Here I was traveling from California to England with four coaches and 17 teammates, where I was getting a glimpse into what college or even professional soccer might be like. Everyone on this roster and trio had earned their place here, and that shared drive created an intense, focused atmosphere. I love club soccer, but not everyone there has the same long-term goals. On this roster, everyone did, and that difference was exciting and addictive.
We had to adapt quickly, though. Many of us had played against each other in ECNL club level, but now we had to play with each other. We had to learn and study new formations, playing styles, and work at developing good team chemistry fast if we wanted to be successful and make this work. On top of that, we faced teams with different playing styles, cultures, and mindsets than we were used to in the U.S. It was eye-opening to see how differently the game is approached in Europe, tactically and mentally.
Balancing everything from travel, rest and recovery, meals, classroom sessions, field sessions, and games was its own challenge. We also had to build team culture and morale through bonding and sightseeing. But that balance made the experience even richer.
We ended up winning all four matches. The wins felt great, but what seemed to matter more for all of us was everything behind those wins, the growth, the teamwork, the discipline, and the perspective gained.
For me, The Summer I Turned It Up in Europe wasn’t just about those matches. It was about earning my way back, learning who I am as an athlete and person, and realizing how much more there is to chase.