Maria Kartes answers questions about being a Soccer Youth player
This week’s Player Spotlight features Maria Kartes, a 2010 girl from Tampa, Florida. Maria has been playing soccer for four years and attended her first Soccer Youth event in Tampa, Florida last season. She has since participated in Soccer Youth’s Golden Cup in Naples, Florida in December of this past year where she won the Golden Ball and Sharpshooter award. The 13-year-old plays for Florida Premiere FC, the top ranked team in the ECNL Southeast standings, as a forward.
SY: What is one of your favorite things about Soccer Youth?
Maria: “My favorite thing is when we played the games, the coaches would encourage us and give positive feedback when we did something well. If we messed up, they would tell us what we did wrong and help us correct our mistakes. I like to be pushed and learn from my mistakes, but also be told when I’m doing the right things. I definitely got that at Soccer Youth.”
SY: Who are some of the people that you’ve met at Soccer Youth?
Maria: “I met some really cool coaches, a couple of them were Brazilian. My coach was there as well. I met some other players who were really nice – one from Wisconsin, one from Texas, and a couple more. Everyone is so nice and fun to talk to.”
SY: Can you name one thing that you have improved at or learned from Soccer Youth?
Maria: “I definitely improved at being confident on the ball. I used to be nervous when I had the ball, but I definitely improved on being more confident and taking more shots. Soccer Youth helped me with that.”
SY: What are your goals in your soccer career?
Maria: “I want to play professional for the national team. I want to keep improving so that I could play at a really high level. I believe I can get there one day by working hard enough to be scouted.”
Soccer Youth is thrilled that Maria has been able to participate in events in the past and hope that she can join this summer at one of our eighteen locations across the country and Canada!
