Featuring: Sara Escobedo
Sport: Soccer
Position: Goal Keeper
Level Played: Division II, California Baptist University

1. If you had one piece of advice to give to a young female athlete, what would it be?

Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of your desires. You are capable of more than you think you are. Any piece of criticism you get is that person’s opinion so do not let that define you. I know this is super cliché, but keep working hard and never give up because you can and will achieve your goals.

2. How has failure played a part in your training and career? How has it helped you to succeed?

Naturally I am a very competitive person so failure is taken pretty seriously. Failing sucks, but the ability to learn from mistakes is one of the best skills you can have. This is a huge part of my training: constantly drilling techniques over and over again, trying to correct every little detail, so ideally the concept will become second nature to me. And no matter how mentally and physically painful it is, it’s the price you pay for being an athlete, and consequently, a perfectionist.

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3. How do you feel about the color pink commonly being associated with female athletic apparel?

Personally I hate the color pink. My favorite color is black actually. The color association has been this way for forever and I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon. I definitely think pink should be an option, however, it shouldn’t be the main color scheme of the majority of the clothes in athletic stores.

4. Tell us about your life now and how being involved in sports has shaped who you are today.

Being involved in sports has definitely made a huge impact on the person I am today. Soccer is my main sport but I also played basketball and volleyball for a few years here and there so I got to get some different perspectives on different sports. Soccer has been a huge part of my life since I was 4 and now that I play in college, it practically is my life. This sport alone has taught me so much and has helped me so much. Honestly, if playing a sport for as long as I have doesn’t shape you as an individual than you’re doing something wrong. Probably the most important thing that soccer has given me are the amazing friendships I have made over the years.image4