Representing your family’s country for the sport you love is just a long shot dream for many high school students.
But Cal High sophomore Lola Cervantes is on the verge of making her childhood dreams come true by putting herself in contention for Mexico’s women’s U15 national soccer team.
Over the summer, Cervantes attended open tryouts for the Mexico team in California alongside girls from the surrounding states, such as Arizona and Nevada, to compete for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Cervantes made it through both days of the initial tryouts, before being called to Southern California for an additional four days of tryouts.
Shortly after, Cervantes and her family received an invitation to Toluca, Mexico, where the national team invited Cervantes to compete in their SuperCopa tournament. The event is a tryout that allows many professional clubs to scout the highest level players.
Andrea Cervantes, Lola Cervantes’ mom, said the coaches in Mexico began calling her and her husband, Omar Cervantes, when their email invitation to the SuperCopa was lost in a spam folder.
“We almost missed it!” Andrea Cervantes said.
Lola Cervantes recalls getting into the camp as one of her proudest accomplishments. She should know by the end of this month if she made the national team.
Cervantes said she had previously tried out for the camp through a different pathway when it first became available for her age group, but didn’t advance to the next stage.
“I went to Mexico and I tried out and I didn’t even make it past the first day,” she said. “So, I’m really proud of myself for the improvements that I’ve made to even be looked at, and make it through that many more stages.”
Ever since Cervantes was six years old, she has been playing competitive soccer. She currently plays as a center forward and attacking midfielder for Bay Area Surf in San Jose and Stanislaus United in Modesto.
Last year, she made the Cal women’s varsity team as a freshman.
Despite her long and rigorous soccer career, she said she still feels immense passion for the sport.
“I really just love soccer. It’s so much fun, and it brings me so much joy when I’m able to just play freely on the field,” Cervantes said. “I get to be with my friends, I get to be competitive, and I get to try my hardest at this [soccer].”
Her excitement to play doesn’t go unnoticed by the people around her either.
Cal women’s varsity coach Nina Cefalo said she met Cervantes at open fields last year for varsity tryouts and noticed a significant shift in confidence during the season as she was really able to connect with her teammates.
“Lola just brings joy because she is always so happy and inclusive,” Cefalo said. “She’s always the first to make a group and she’ll come early and stay after practice and ask questions.”
Cervantes’ teammates and friends also relentlessly praise her character, as well as her skill.
“Lola is beyond her athletic abilities [compared to] other girls her age, and is a true team player,” junior Jemma Barry, a varsity teammate, said.
Sophomore Izzie Tuy said she sees so much potential she sees in her friend.
“She’s the hardest worker I know,” Tuy said. “I have no doubts she can achieve everything she wants to in her career and more.”
Junior Hayley Hamilton, another varsity teammate, said she’s played with Cervantes since they were both six, and appreciates her attitude on the field.
“Every time she plays, she gives her best effort and makes others on the field better,” Hamilton said.
Cervantes’ family fully supports her soccer career as well.
“Lola has always been super driven, and she’s always trying to push herself further,” Andrea Cervantes said. “Not to say that she’s never satisfied, but she’s just worked really hard. It’s just the smile on her face when she does it. She has so much joy and lights up [when playing].”
Cervantes jokes that she may owe some of her accomplishment to her pre-game ritual, which includes writing down each of her objectives for the game.
“If I don’t write in it, I’m probably more likely to play bad,” Cervantes said.
Cervantes looks up to Wendie Renard, a professional French player in the Première Ligue club.
Cervantes constantly raises the bar, and stays hungry for success.
