Starting this week Wednesday Journal will feature at least one local high school student-athlete, spotlighting not only his or her accomplishments in athletics, but their interests.
Our first Athlete of the Week is Trinity High School junior soccer forward Grace Ramel. She’s already tallied 70 goals in her career, including 24 this spring, and she gives credit to her parents for her success.
“Throughout my soccer career I have had ups and downs, but the constant support and encouragement from my parents has truly been what drives me to want to not only better myself but help lift the girls on my team as well,” Ramel said. “Whether a game is bad or good, I know I can turn to my parents to tell me what to work on and still reassure me that one bad game doesn’t define me and that the success I have had on the field and the determination to not lose rather than win is what drives my success.”
Here are some more thoughts from Ramel:
On how Trinity has adjusted to new co-head coaches Fabio Duque and Chris Rutili: “I think my teammates and I have adjusted very well. Our new coaches have taken the reins and shifted the soccer program in the right direction. The coaches have worked diligently to bring us together on and off the pitch by including more fun and team-bonding activities.”
On how the season is going: “Personally I think my season has gone great. I walked onto the pitch for the first game of the season not expecting to score more than a goal and ended up scoring four, bringing me to 50 [career] goals. As a team, I could not be more proud of my squad. These girls have grown on the field so much over the past few years.”
Hobbies and interests: “I love to cook and bake. I made it to state one year for my lemon cheesecake as a Girl Scout. I also enjoy spending time with my friends, whether we’re going out to get food or just being [with] one another. I’m a very big lover of movies as well, especially the horror genre.”
Favorite thing to eat: “Definitely steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli, and mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert.”
Famous person Ramel wants to meet: “Hope Solo. She has been my favorite [U.S. Women’s National Team] player since I was a little girl. I used to be a goalkeeper and she was my role model for the longest time, and still is. She’s herself unapologetically, and I admire how much of a leader she is, both when she played for the USWNT and in her fight for equal pay for women in sports, as well as gender equality and rights for women.”
On her college recruiting process: “I would like to say it’s going well. I am looking for a school that will support the student aspect of student-athletes. I would like to major in pre-medicine and minor in biology. I would love to pursue a career in college, but I wouldn’t play at a level higher than that because I want to one day open my own practice.”
Goals for the rest of the season: “I believe and have set myself to achieve the goal of reaching 75 [career] goals by the end of the season. I think that’s highly achievable as I am at 70 goals now, and my teammates and I have such a great dynamic. I expect this team to be a real force to be reckoned with and hold their own against even fierce competition.”