By Cooper Chadwick
With the goal of playing college soccer, Salina South senior midfielder Natalia Silvestre has been working on the little things to improve her game.
“One thing I am hoping to improve on is my service balls. As a midfielder, a good service ball over the top can create chances, and I want to work on finding and giving those good balls to my teammates,” Silvestre said.
Last year, Silvestre finished the season with three goals and one assist, which earned her all-league honorable mention. Silvestre wants to keep growing this season and improve her stats.
“I want more goals and assists than last season. I also want to improve on creating better chances on set pieces, whether I am taking them or making a certain run,” Silvestre said.
The Cougars struggled to win games finishing last year 2-15, but Silvestre is making it a focus this season to enjoy the game of soccer no matter what happens.
“Not winning often can bring a team down, and sometimes it can even take the love of the game away. Reminding players that we have to keep our heads up and look forward can refocus our team on always improving and not just winning,” Silvestre said.
One thing that Silvestre had to learn last year was something she was happy she learned before college, it was prioritization, and how to juggle life along with soccer.
“I just had to prioritize some things over others, and then I would move on to the next thing. That priority always changed. Sometimes it was getting homework done, and other times it was getting more touches in,” Silvestre said.
