Kathya Garcia

Isabella Contreras (above) in her club soccer team going for a goal during one of her season’s many games.

Senior varsity soccer player, Isabella Contreras, is a part of Ayala High School’s wave of college recruiting and commitments, as she has signed to Cal State Fullerton to pursue her dream of becoming a professional soccer player.

“I think that going pro was always a goal when I was a little girl,” Contreras said. “I’d say I would want to do it for her, and I think I’d get there by just staying committed to the sport and understanding what I need to improve on within soccer.”

Contreras grew up in Chino Hills, California, where she began her dream of a soccer career almost 13 years ago, with the help of her dad, inspiring her to pursue this dream. When reflecting on who she looks up to, Contreras’s idol is one she would like to emulate in the near future. 

“My soccer idol is definitely Crystal Dunn. She plays on the U.S. Women’s National team,” Contreras said. Her long-term goals include winning the conference finals and hopefully making it to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) championships to secure a win for her soon to be Titans team, while also making first team in her division. 

Contreras, along with many others, committed to one school: Cal State Fullerton. 

“It probably took a month to decide since there were so many options,” Contreras said. “I think the coaching environment and the staff was really amazing and I just thoroughly enjoyed the program and what they wanted to accomplish during the season.”

Cal State Fullerton was the college that stuck out to her the most, due to the proximity to home and the aspects that CSUF offered, which other colleges who offered her specific offers as well, did not have, such as their speech pathology course. The interest in speech pathology was first acquired when Contreras saw a family member’s colleague’s daughter working in that field. 

“I thought that it would be really nice to help kids with their speech, and I’ve always wanted to help kids with disabilities like that,” said Contreras. 

When looking towards the future of your goals, people must also reflect on their experiences in the past. Contreras shares her experience at Ayala and her accomplishments as well as learning moments she believed will help her in the future. 

“I think one thing I’ve learned is just to enjoy the time with my girls and fully commit myself to the team,” Contreras said. “It goes by really fast and I don’t think I realized how fast it was gonna go by, so just enjoy the experience.”

Contreras not only is a star soccer player in the Ayala varsity girl’s soccer team. She is also a part of the Ayala Women’s track and cross-country teams as well, making her a tri-sport athlete, allowing her to seek opportunities for many of the accomplishments during her high school career. During her freshman year, Contreras made all-league first team while also making her varsity cross country and track team. 

Looking back into the future, Contreras believes her dream of going into professional soccer and winning a championship with her soon-to-be Titans team, is the destination after deciding on many diverging paths.

“I think working hard and staying committed to everything with training and asking my coaches to help me improve on my abilities will help me accomplish my goal,” said Contreras. 

Of course, no one can persevere through tough situations and team sports without the help of others. She credits the coaching staff at Ayala, specifically her freshman and sophomore year head coach, and her outside club soccer coach, Ryan Casey, have helped her with her recruiting process, as well as believing in her potential to strive for greatness as an upcoming star soccer player. 

“A lot of my teammates helped and supported me with my recruiting process. They made sure I stayed focused with what I wanted to accomplish and how I was gonna get there by just working hard with the team and focusing on what I needed to do outside of soccer training,” said Contreras.

Contreras’s bright future as an upcoming freshman Titan at Cal State Fullerton after recently committing, is another step for a graduating Ayala student to reach her goal to become a professional soccer player. Her career at CSUF is one she will always remember, but she will never forget her Ayala team and high school career as well.