By: Taylor Phillips
Senior Grace Watkins shot and scored during her final season as a Mustang, landing the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section [CIF-SS] division 2 soccer player of the year award.
Watkins, a three-year member of the Mira Costa soccer team, has been playing soccer since she was able to walk, but formally started playing when she was four years old. Her family was very involved in soccer, with both of her older sisters playing soccer when she was little and encouraged her to play as well.
“Both of [my sisters] played and I would always go to their games when I was little,” Watkins said. “My whole family was a soccer family and I also like being a part of that.”
Watkins started her soccer career through the local American Youth Soccer Organization [AYSO] recreational group before becoming more serious about playing and turning to a club team to continue playing. Watkins was seven years old when she tried out for the South Bay Force, a local club soccer team based out of Redondo Beach, that was renamed the LA Galaxy South Bay. In eight grade, Watkins left the LA Galaxy and joined the Slammers FC in Irvine and currently still plays for the team.
“I started playing AYSO when I was little and I had played with my sisters before I actually joined a team,” Watkins said. “Eventually, club [soccer] started up and I tried out for a team a few years later. “
As Watkins was continuing to play for the Slammers FC, she joined the Mira Costa soccer team, and through her past four years on the team, has had great success. This past season, Watkins helped lead the Mustangs to the school’s first girls soccer CIF title in school history, with a 5-1 win over Oaks Hills High School. The team made it to the California Regional tournament, where the girls unfortunately lost in the semifinal round against JSerra High School.
“I have enjoyed Costa soccer,” Watkins said. “My teammates have been awesome. That’s the best part, when you get to play alongside some awesome people and make new friends. My favorite memory is winning the CIF this year. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win the CIF and we did it!”
With being on a club soccer team and the Costa soccer team, Watkins was being watched by a lot of college scouts that were looking forward to recruiting Watkins to join their team after she graduated from Mira Costa. Schools had been watching her through showcases and tournaments with her club team and games with the Mustangs and reached out to her to show their interest. According to Watkins, she was recruited by Duke University during her sophomore year and committed to the school going into her junior year.
“I picked Duke for many reasons,” Watkins said. “I knew I wanted a great soccer program and great academics. They checked both those boxes. Also, the environment at Duke is like no other. It’s super competitive but their team is like a family and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Watkins is looking forward to her future at Duke University and being a part of their division 1 soccer program. According to Watkins, she knows that college may be difficult, but she knows that she is going to have an amazing experience there and with her new teammates.
“I just want to become the best player I can possibly be,” Watkins said. “I know that I will grow at Duke to become a better player and person. That’s the main goal.”
With all of her success this season, the CIF named Watkins the CIF Southern Section Division 2 girls soccer player of the year. This honor was the perfect way to end her high school soccer career and recognize her for all of her hard work this season.
“It makes me extremely happy and proud,” Watkins said. “I’ve been working hard and it always feels good to have your hard work pay off. I couldn’t have done any of it without my team.”
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