Sophomore Alyssa Jurado’s soccer skills are clear-cut as she was immediately accepted into El Salvador’s U18 team upon referral. She was then invited to tryout for the U20 team and elected to play with them in Honduras for a tournament. 

Jurado’s interest in sports piqued at an early age, as her parents signed her up for as many sports as possible to find one that she not only excelled in, but was also devoted to.

“My dad signed me up for a few days long soccer camp, and from then I was hooked. Ever since then soccer has never been just a hobby; it’s my life,” she recalled. 

Her passion for the sport began at a young age and hasn’t ceased since, which is evident in her dedication to the girls varsity soccer team at Riordan High School as a center defender. 

She said that she cannot see herself doing anything other than what she loves. Soccer. 

Not only is Jurado a dedicated player, but she is also highly valued by her coaches and teammates. 

The girls varsity soccer coach, Coach Erin Stovall said, “Alyssa is tenacious. She has a strong competitive drive that fuels her both on the field and in the classroom. She is a student-athlete in every aspect of the word. She is a very technical and skillful player that I could rely on in tough situations to play any position on the field.”

Jurado’s teammate, Josie Espinoza-Schleicher ’25 added, “She brings so much to the team through her hard work on the field and her fun personality, hyping us up and motivating us to do the best we can. She’s definitely a huge part of our team and we’re very lucky to have her.” 

Both on and off the field her attitude and resilience is prevalent. 

Jurado’s inspiration for soccer stems from her late grandfather who was once on El Salvador’s national team.

“Being able to wear my country’s jersey for the first time was a feeling like no other and I knew I made my grandfather proud,” she said.

With so much to look forward to as a member of El Salvador’s soccer team, Jurado stated, “I want to make it to the high levels and keep improving.”

The next step in her journey to nationals is training and preparing for her upcoming tournament in Belize as she will continue to attend most tournaments from the U-17 and U-20 selections.