Maria Sanchez

[Guest]

Never played club soccer
HS super star
from American Falls, Idaho - population 4,400
HS coach helped her get a college scholarship
Houston Dash will pay her $1.5m
First thing she did when she got paid was pay off her migrant parents mortgage

[Guest]

No one cares.

[Guest]

Never played club soccer
HS super star
from American Falls, Idaho - population 4,400
HS coach helped her get a college scholarship
Houston Dash will pay her $1.5m
First thing she did when she got paid was pay off her migrant parents mortgage

Great story. Hopefully just the beginning for the younger gen.

[Guest]

No one cares.

Maybe you should care your probably chasing something you will never get

[Guest]

No one cares.

Yet here you are pretending not to care because you think it makes you cool

[Guest]

Great story. Hopefully just the beginning for the younger gen.

Her story is unique and won't be seen often, if ever.

[Guest]

And now, a skit from Pedro Sanchez!

[Guest]

Congrats María…here’s a novel idea…instead of flying across the country to play three games against average girls, play against a younger aged boys team locally.

[Guest]

Congrats María…here’s a novel idea…instead of flying across the country to play three games against average girls, play against a younger aged boys team locally.

You think there's good soccer competition in Idaho? lmao. Like many players at that level she's mostly self made.

[Guest]

What is crazy is that if she had lived somewhere with more female players she may have not been given the opportunity to play all the time with the boys and would not have developed into what she is now. No level of girls soccer can replace consistently playing against boys.

[Guest]

What is crazy is that if she had lived somewhere with more female players she may have not been given the opportunity to play all the time with the boys and would not have developed into what she is now. No level of girls soccer can replace consistently playing against boys.

Agreed. And while some clubs will happily scholarship outstanding players or those with financial needs, in general scholarship s are rare. At least in MLS if you can make a pro club it's free. No such thing existsbin the girls side. Most families from her background cannot afford pricey elite club soccer. Tuition + travel is too much. As crazy as Hope Solo is she has been very vocal about the costs of youth soccer, saying had she come up today no way her family could have afforded it.

[Guest]

Agreed. And while some clubs will happily scholarship outstanding players or those with financial needs, in general scholarship s are rare. At least in MLS if you can make a pro club it's free. No such thing existsbin the girls side. Most families from her background cannot afford pricey elite club soccer. Tuition + travel is too much. As crazy as Hope Solo is she has been very vocal about the costs of youth soccer, saying had she come up today no way her family could have afforded it.

It is rediculous what we all pay on youth soccer when you really think about it. Something needs to change.

also, The whole club/travel soccer will take anyone for the money. It takes away from the eliteness of playing for a club or even any travel team. Club should be for elite players. But their are so many clubs that if they only took elite players they would be out of business. Because there are not that many elite level players out there to keep all these clubs in business. That’s why some clubs are just horrible. Horrible training and horrible talent.

[Guest]

Agreed. And while some clubs will happily scholarship outstanding players or those with financial needs, in general scholarship s are rare. At least in MLS if you can make a pro club it's free. No such thing existsbin the girls side. Most families from her background cannot afford pricey elite club soccer. Tuition + travel is too much. As crazy as Hope Solo is she has been very vocal about the costs of youth soccer, saying had she come up today no way her family could have afforded it.

My kids club has a very good finical aid for the kids that are talented and cannot afford payment. Also, if the kid is "recruited" by a club they will probably throw in some finical incentives into the whole deal.

[Guest]

My kids club has a very good finical aid for the kids that are talented and cannot afford payment. Also, if the kid is "recruited" by a club they will probably throw in some finical incentives into the whole deal.

Not all do, and there's far more kids that need the assistance than $ to go around. Plus even when fees are covered or reduced, the travel costs aren't manageable. Even when you have a family you trust to take your child (so you don't pay to go with them) flying to an event + food + shared hotel is too much. MLS pro clubs cover all of that for boys from their own pockets. GDA had a scholarship program but in reality it worked out to be barely two per club. International players don't pay nearly as much and don't travel nearly as much, then once you reach a certain level it's all free.

[Guest]

Never played club soccer
HS super star
from American Falls, Idaho - population 4,400
HS coach helped her get a college scholarship
Houston Dash will pay her $1.5m
First thing she did when she got paid was pay off her migrant parents mortgage

In Idaho, the nearest ECNL club at the time would have been Utah Avalanche and that was almost 3hrs away. I'm sure she played on some type of local team and her father, being from Mexico, has some knowledge as well. If you've never seen small, fat, smoking Mexicans play it is something to behold as they are as skilled as most older MLS youth teams today. She got a scholarship to Idaho State which would slightly lower than St Peter, Rider or Seton Hall in NJ and easier since Idaho State doesn't exactly have a huge draw from top leagues. She was a direct result of not playing for a league that would get her noticed. Had she played for even a mid level ECNL or DA club at the time she would have been spotted by someone bigger. Good on her for beating the odds, the world is full of people who have in one thing or another. Remember though she is an extreme exception and not a rule.