Jalisse Padilla: Local Soccer Player Squares Off in Elite European Series

14-year-old Jalisse Padilla recently traveled to France, where she played in an elite U.S. soccer development program.

One local youth athlete has her sights set on becoming a pro soccer player, and her recent series of matches in France is the latest chapter in that journey.

Jalisse Padilla, who plays for Bay Area Surf, lives and breathes soccer. Her mother, Denisse Corral, said Jalisse trains six days a week. Even on Jalisse’s day off, Corral typically drives the girl to the park where she practices kicking around the ball.

“I like how, whenever I step on the field and I can be myself, there is no pressure … You got to go. This is dedication,” Jalisse said. “Soccer is what I think about every day. When I wake up, it is soccer.”

SPONSORED

U.S. Club Soccer selected Jalisse, 14, for its National Identification and Development Program (id2) team, an elite Olympic development program. The team consisted of 18 girls from across the county, including 11 from California.

In April, the team competed in a three-game series, squaring off against teams in Paris and Lyons, France.

The stylistic differences between European soccer and American soccer struck Jalisse. She said her opponents were very aggressive on the ball.

“I learned so much … the way they play soccer over there, I tried to bring it back to the U.S. and incorporate it into my game,” she said.

In the opening game of the id2 National Selection International Tour, Jalisse notched a goal in an 8-0 victory over Paris FC. In the second game, she scored the lone goal in a 4-1 loss against Olympique Lyonnais’s academy team, an under-16 team. In the final game against FBBP’s under-16 team, Jalisse tallied a hat trick in the id2 team’s 11-1 win.

While her dedication leaves her missing out on things like school dances, Corral said soccer has taught her daughter valuable life skills.

“The challenges that being an athlete comes with creates such a strong character,” Corral said. “If you want to be able to put up the performance on the field, you have to be able to commit to it.”

Yvan Trevino coaches Jalisse on Bay Area Surf and gives her private lessons. He said Jalisse playing at a high-level stems from her dedication, willingness to sacrifice and respect.

In preparation for the games in France, Trevino said he worked with Jalisse on first-touch fundamentals during private lessons and focused on team dynamics during club practices.

The main focus, he said, was just allowing her to “raise the intensity of her game.”

“She is just a talented player with a fantastic work ethic,” Trevino said.

With her sights set on turning pro, Jalisse said she models her game after idols Trinity Rodman, who plays for the Washington Spirit, and Brazilian player Neymar Jr. She said she wants to be the kind of player that breaks down defenders with “a bit of flair.”

Trevino said he tries to build a competitive environment that normalizes elite performance.

“It is very, very demanding. Without that environment, they wouldn’t be able to succeed,” he said.

Wanting to continue to test herself, Jalisse said her next goal is to help her team advance to the second round of the Elite Clubs National League playoffs.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com