Stepping onto the field, mat, or track, Amelia de Dios (9) dominates the sport scene in all three seasons. Whether it’s the crisp air of fall, warm gusts of spring winds, or the chilling breeze of winter, de Dios does it all. While maintaining acceptable grades, de Dios participates in four different sports throughout all seasons of high school athletics, including being one of seven freshmen on the competitive varsity soccer team. However, balancing academics and sports isn’t always easy.

“The hardest part about being a student athlete is keeping your priorities in check and balancing your time,” said de Dios. “It’s hard to prioritize school over the sport you love and want to play more of. Then being able to do school work after practice and making time to study on top of practices and games is tiring and hard to keep up with.” 

Despite being a freshman, de Dios has participated in a total of four sports throughout the 2023-2024 school year: competitive cheerleading, both sideline cheerleading and gymnastics during the winter, and soccer. Still, despite the struggle to balance sports and classes, de Dios remains motivated throughout. 

“My motivation for playing soccer is hard to put into one reason,” de Dios said. “I think that I have many things motivating me, but the main reason is because I’ve played for so long and it would be a waste to stop now… also I’m motivated by the want to get better and do more and win more.” 

Varsity soccer is not the only team de Dios participates in. In the fall, she participated in Junior Varsity Competitive Cheerleading and further doubled up in the winter season, when she took part in Sideline Cheerleading and Gymnastics to further her skills for the upcoming cheer season. 

“Gymnastics…was a sport I wanted to try to improve at tumbling for cheer, but I ended up doing way more. I tried uneven bars at meets, beam -my personal favorite- and floor routine,” she said.

De Dios continues to stay motivated and hardworking throughout all three seasons. With Summer approaching, de Dios and soccer teammates see the end to a meaningful soccer season. De Dios describes her time on the varsity soccer team as positive and fun. 

“The best part of soccer is competing and winning a game, the effort and the adrenaline make the experience so much fun and there is no other feeling that tops it.” said de Dios.