Playing a sport in a different country might sound a bit like a movie, but for Alexa Casimiro, Woodland junior, it’s her life.
She started her soccer career when she was three years old and has not stopped for the past decade. While playing on the Connecticut State Team, ODP, Casimiro was given a unique opportunity. Because of her desire to increase her competitive edge, she decided to try out for a spot on the Region One soccer team, which has allowed her play soccer internationally. At the end of the 2014 she went to a camp with other international team hopefuls where she beat out the majority of the competition and landed a spot on the Region One team. The team only trains together when they are away on trips. They use fields close to their hotels to prepare for games but they don’t train together otherwise.
This past year Casimiro has taken two trips abroad to play. In February she traveled to Saarbrucken, Dusseldorf and Duisburg Germany. This past month, she traveled to Italy, Switzerland and France to play in another tournament. She plans on taking more trips to play next year.
“I have been out of the country before to play soccer,” said Casimiro. “Last month in February, I traveled to Germany with the Region One team for international play.”
While exciting, it is not Casimiro’s first time playing soccer in other countries. She believes that those additional experiences help her because she knows what to expect on the international circuit.
“I knew it was going to be a challenge,” said Casimiro, “but I was going to learn a lot about myself and how to play better.”
Casimiro plans on playing soccer at the University of Connecticut and she feels that her experience as an international player has helped her prepare for her future as a soccer player.
Maria is a Staff Reporter who has spent two full semesters at Hawk Headlines. She enjoys binge-watching Netflix and getting lots of sleep.
