Shorecrest Prep's soccer player Sonoma Kasica invited to the world stage in London
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Sonoma Kasica is back on Shorecrest Prep's campus after spending nine days with the USA Under-17 Youth Soccer team in London. It was a golden opportunity to experience the game where it was developed in the 12th century.
"It's only something that someone can only dream of doing, representing your country on an international stage like that," said Kasica. "Getting to wear the USA crest and getting to play and having such a passion for the sport. It's a dream come true, and I can't wait to look into the future."
It's a bright future for this high school junior, who was just one of 20 players invited to play for the USA soccer team. It's a big step towards her ultimate goal of representing the US in women's soccer.
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"Growing up I've always watched Alex Morgan, all the USA National team icons," said Kasica. "I've always thought ‘I want to make it there one day. I want to be there. I want to inspire young girls like I was inspired my entire life.’ So it's something that I've always worked for, and now it's here."
As good as Kasica is with soccer she's also pretty talented at throwing the javelin. In fact, she won the Florida High School State Championship in her first two years in the sport.
USA soccer wasn't the first invitation for Kasica. Last summer, her javelin skills got her a call to the Nike Track and Field Invitational in Oregon.
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"At first it was a hobby," said Kasica. "I would say freshman year when I came out here I didn't know what to expect and then winning States, then at the end of my freshman year it was an amazing honor. Working again in my sophomore year and just hoping to keep competing and go back to Nike Nationals this year. Yeah, it was a very fun sport. It's almost an outlet away from soccer too."
Her goal is to go for a four-year high school sweep in the javeline. So is there a conflict on which sport she'll play when she heads off to Notre Dame in two years?
"Right now for college I'm just going to focus on soccer," Kasica said. "I love javelin so much, but soccer has been such a big part of my life. I've been playing it for 12 or 13 years and my entire family played soccer, so it's something I just grew up with. Something that was always a part of me as a child and even now I watch soccer all the time. So I can never let that go. Hopefully going pro and focusing on that during college."