Monica has been playing with Valeo for 5 years! With all of the hard work this 2004 standout puts in on and off the field, she is bound to become the next Mallory Pugh (her favorite professional soccer player)!
What is your favorite moment with Valeo?
One of my proudest Valeo moments was when our team traveled to Spain and we needed another defender, so I stepped up and took the challenge. As a midfielder I wasn't use to playing defensively, however, I quickly adapted and tried to do what was best for the team by pushing myself to perform better than I had the rest of the tournament.
What are your soccer goals?
My main soccer goal as I mentioned before is to become more confident. Confidence can completely change how someone plays. I know that I have the technical and tactical skill to be an amazing player, but it is my confidence that is going to bring me to the next level. I learned that I am my worst enemy on the soccer field, so if I change this one thing my development will sky rocket.
What challenges have you overcome?
One major challenge that I overcame was playing with a team a year older. Despite being hesitant to play with the 2004s after club soccer changed their age groupings, I learned to step up my soccer game. By training extra hard at practices and on my own I gained more and more confidence which is something I still work on today. Although some games I didn’t get as much playing time, I pushed myself hard when no one was watching to be the player that I am today.
Favorite soccer trick?
My favorite soccer trick is the lunge because it’s simple, but highly effective.
Favorite Valeo coach?
I love all the coaches at Valeo and believe that each one brings a different set of skills to help us all differently while developing into strong soccer players. However, if I had to choose one coach who has truly been with me through everything and been a major part of my development is coach Brian. Having coach Brian as a coach has helped me be the player and teammate that I am today. Without him I could never achieve and countinue achieving goals which I once bought impossible. He cares for everyone and is the most committed person I’ve ever met to the club, our team, and each individual player. I know that he always has my back and has taught me so many lessons both on and off the field.
During this COVID-19 downtime, Monica is staying super active! Whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, I get touches on the ball every single day. Some days, I'll juggle and other days I go outside and do attacking moves, technicals, shooting, and more! No matter what it’s important to stay consistent and touch the ball everyday. Along with soccer drills I’vs also been doing fitness everyday. That's what we like to hear!
Keep up with Monica and her soccer skills by following her Instagram account!
