Curators: Kassy Hernandez
Who says soccer will never be big in the US? As the country becomes more of a melting pot, the “world’s game” is beginning to become America’s game too. It’s hard to tell at the professional level, but much of the nation’s youth have participated in the game at some point. Sure, some participation numbers in lower age brackets have declined in recent years, but the passion found at these adolescent matches is undeniable.
Meet Kassy Hernandez: reigning district champion with South Broward High’s Girls soccer team. During her 2019-20 senior season, she played defense, or what she refers to as “right center back”. It was a pivotal part in the team’s undefeated play within the district and their rise in both state and national rankings.
But Kassy’s play doesn’t end with her school. Like many other young athletes, she’s finding that exposure can be easier to come by within club/travel play as opposed to its school-lead counterpart. She also plays for the local travel team, Sunrise FC. For that squad she plays offense and has built an even stronger reputation amongst soccer viewers. This team has taken her all across the eastern seaboard, most notably to the Jefferson Cup in Virginia and another tourney in Bethesda, Maryland. She still receives calls from recruiters interested in her performance.
Ms. Hernandez doesn’t let athletics affect her work in the classroom. She has still maintained high grades with an honors schedule. Yes, she plays and practices for two teams and still finds a way to excel in her coursework.
“It’s kind of hard during the school season to keep up with grades. It’s school soccer ‘til 5 and I have about an hour and a half. Then I have travel practice. After practice Is usually when I get most of my work done. I get back from practice at 10.”
Her grind is all-day during the season, especially being at a school that begins class at 7:40AM. Time management has become key at an early stage for this soccer star.
While she loves the game, Kassy doesn’t let it consume her. She’s currently weighing offers to play collegiately, but she has aspirations that extend beyond the soccer field. For her, soccer can be the vehicle that gets her to her career dreams. “I want to do physical therapy, something in sports medicine” says Hernandez. It’s clear that her mission is to keep a close proximity to athletics.
When asked what keeps her motivated to work so hard both on and off the field, she was brief in referring to her future beyond sports. “I want a good career, because that’s what I have for the rest of my life”.
Unfortunately, after winning the district title, her South Broward squad took a tough loss in the ensuing regional playoff game. In an attempt to generate more offense, Kassy was moved up from her normal defensive position. The opposing St. Thomas Aquinas proceeded to score four goals in the game’s final ten minutes to secure a 5-0 victory.
While it was a sobering defeat, Kassy is still optimistic about the future and how soccer will help her get there. “One day you’re gonna see me” Kassy says, “I’m gonna pull up in a Lamborghini, that’s my dream car”.Her certainty about something as cool as a sports car, gives me the utmost confidence that it will happen. If Kassy has shown anything, it’s that when she makes plans, she’s willing to do anything to kick them into action.
