On December 9, 2011, Briar Woods senior, Lina Granados went to her home country, Colombia, to pursue her lifelong goal of playing soccer for the Colombian National Team.

After weeks of intense two-a-day, 3 hour practices, fitness sessions and time spent working on strategy, all of the time and effort that Granados had put in paid off. She made the U-20 Colombian National team.

“I got emotional,” said Granados. “All of my hard work was finally feeling like it was paying off.”

Granados could not think of a better way to be rewarded for her efforts and was very proud to be given the opportunity to represent her country.

“There is no other feeling,” explained Granados, “like putting the jersey on and knowing that you’re representing your country. It’s all about being proud of where you came from.”
For Granados, one of the most exciting parts of making the team was that she was not just a part of it, but she was starting and making a difference.

“It felt really amazing because this was my first time being chosen for the team and I was starting,” said Granados. “I ended up playing 87 percent of the time, which turns out to be more than 520 minutes!”

Granados went to Colombia her sophomore year, but did not make the team. This time, however, her experience was much different. Being older and gaining two more years of experience, Granados fit right in with the team.

“This year the girls have been a lot more accepting,” said Granados. “I felt like I had a better chance this time around than last time because the coaches were able to take me more seriously.”

The team stuck to a strict schedule to ensure success. Their schedule included a rise time of 7:00am and lights out at 10:30pm, with two practices that were at least three hours long, and a daily weigh in.

“The practices were really hard,” said Granados. “Every session we did some sort of fitness, whether it be weight lifting or running. Then we would work a lot on strategy and do a lot of repetition to make sure we had the plays down.”

During their tournament, computers and phones were taken away from them to make sure the girls did not get distracted. This sometimes made it hard for Granados, who relied on Facebook, Twitter, and Skype, to keep in touch with her friends, family, and teachers.

“It was really hard at first to be alone,” said Granados, “and I just wanted to go home. However, somewhere along the way I felt more comfortable. As the time went on I became closer with my teammates and it just ended up being like a second home for me.”

One of the hardest parts of Granados’s trip was adjusting to the different style of soccer that the Colombians played.

“In Colombia there was a lot more creativity,” said Granados. “Some of the moves that these girls had were really impressive. They also played with so much heart and passion. Everything they did was so that they could have the honor or representing their country.”

The most challenging part of the trip for Granados was the terminology.

“Everything I’ve ever learned about soccer I learned in English. So when they were talking in Spanish it was hard to understand what the drills meant and figure out what they were saying,” said Granados.

Another change that Granados experienced on her trip was the recognition that the team received. When the team played against their rival Brazil, Granados played in a packed stadium that held more than 10,000 people.

“We definitely had a lot of people that would come out to our practice and scrimmages,” said Granados, “and we had so many people come out to the airport when we departed for Brazil. It was amazing!”

She said her experience in Colombia is one that she will never forget.

“This whole experience opened my eyes to the people from my country, the backgrounds from where they came from, and what soccer does to people,” said Granados. “A lot of my teammates have amazing stories and soccer is their way out of the backgrounds they came from. Soccer is more than just a sport but their life lines.”

Granados came back on February 6th, and plans on returning over the summer to continue to train with the team and prepare for their next event. Right now, she is focusing on getting ready for her high school soccer season.

“I’m so excited that I will be able to play high school soccer this year!” said Granados, who was worried that her time in Colombia would conflict with games and practices. “I can’t wait to finish out my senior year representing Briar Woods.”