As an international business major and a newcomer on the women’s soccer team, Valentina Mosquera, who goes by “Val,” is already off to a great start at Winthrop.
So far, the freshman has scored two goals in the first five games her team has played this season.
“So, I’m from Argentina, but I moved here when I was in sixth grade,” Mosquera said. “I’ve been playing soccer since then. Some girls have been playing soccer since they were like 3 or 4, but in Argentina, soccer is like the most popular sport, so I very much grew up around it.”
Although Mosquera isn’t sure what she’d like to pursue yet with her business degree, she’s keen on continuing soccer after graduation.
“I do want to play professionally after college,” she said. “Honestly, anywhere, if they give me a chance, I would take it.”
With the pandemic interrupting her plan, Mosquera only got to see so much of Winthrop during her visits in high school when she came for camp.
“With COVID, it was so hard getting in touch with schools, so during my junior year, I came here for campus, and I really liked the campus. I really enjoyed it here,” she said. “I think the coaches and my campus [were] what really drew me in. The girls I met who are now sophomores were so kind and welcoming.”
Transitioning from high school to college soccer, Mosquera has learned quite a bit so far from her fellow teammates. Confidence is key, she said.
“I honestly think that since I’ve been here, I’ve learned that confidence is a really important part of a college athlete,” she said.
“Especially with balancing school, I think confidence makes you realize that you can actually do that, and you do have that time. If you have confidence in yourself, you will see that you will play well and improve your skills.”
To play a sport is to commit. Athletes dedicate so much of their lives to the sport they love because of what it gives to them. The sport an athlete plays can bring something different for every one of them. Soccer, for Mosquera, is an outlet.
“It’s an outlet to the things around,” she said. “Like if I am having a bad day, I can just go out and train and forget everything. Having something like that to connect to and as you’re doing it, you get better, and you work hard.”
This past weekend, Mosquera and her team had their first conference game.
“The girls are really excited, and it’s a big deal,” she said prior to Winthrop’s match against Longwood on Saturday. “Not only is it our first conference game of the season, it’s also a home game.”
As a key factor in some of Winthrop’s early-season success, Mosquera shared some thoughts on being a part of a sports team.
“Getting to know the team and getting along with them is so important. It gets you to play better, because if you don’t get along with your team then they won’t want you to pass the ball, and that could cause issues,” she said.
“And I think that working hard and putting [in] the hours after and before training is important. Always push to do more and focus on school as well.”
