Three Chivas players in national team tryout

UPDATE (4/1/2012): Image Gallery of Tryouts

Story was published in the Porterville Recorder on March 31, 2012.

The South Valley Chivas Academy of Porterville is becoming an early staging ground of sorts for players who have aspirations of playing soccer at the national level.

Three more girls from the academy have been chosen to take part in tryouts for the U.S. Women’s Youth National Soccer Teams, bringing the academy’s total to six

players who have received invitations for tryouts to be possibly considered for the national team.

From l-r: Caitlan Albison-Cruz, Jaybree Lopez, Valeria Rios

On Sunday, Valeria Rios, Jaybree Lopez and Caitlin Albinson-Cruz will all perform for national scouts during tryouts on Sunday in Sacramento. Even though the three girls are all just 13, they will be trying out on the 15 and under level.

The tryout is operated by the U.S. Soccer Federation which governs all of the national teams, including the Olympic Development Program.

The other program that’s used to find talent on the national level is the ID2 program operated by U.S. Club Soccer and Lopez and Rios have also be chosen to participate in an ID2 camp to be held April 19-22 at UC Irvine.
Rios, a seventh grader at St. Anne’s School, is a defender and midfielder. “They have helped me a lot to do my footwork,” said Rios about how the academy has helped her. “I’ve been working a lot of the team with them.”

Rios, who has been playing soccer for nine years and has been with the academy for seven years, said she’ll focus on her footwork at the tryouts. “To do better in my footwork and to try my hardes,” said Rios about her goals at the tryouts.Lopez, a seventh grader at Rockford Elementary School, is also a midfielder and defender. “All of what I’ve learned has been from them,” said Lopez about the Chivas.Caitlin, a seventh grader at Burton Middle School, is a goaltender and has been playing soccer for 9 1/2 years. “They have helped me improve and taught me what I need to know,” said Caitlin about the Chivas.Wendy Lopez, Jabree’s mother, said the academy has made her daughter more determined. “Everything,” said Lopez about what the Chivas have meant to her daughter.

“She’s a real determined kid,” Lopez also said about her daughter, who carries a 4.0 grade point average. “She’s worked to dedicate this year to see what it’s going to take so she can get to the next level. She’s doing some extra training and stuff to take it to the next level.”

Veronica Cruz, Caitlin’s mother, and Jose Rios, Valeria’s father, said the Chivas have given their daughters the confidence and discipline to succeed.

Wendy Lopez summed it up best when she said the Chivas, “allow the kids to have dreams. That high goals are attainable with hard work.”