Balancing Goals
August 03, 2018 10:43 AM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – What summer break?
Vanessa Flores, a senior defender for the West Virginia University women's soccer team, is not familiar with the concept of downtime. While many of her WVU classmates have spent the last few months decompressing from classes, earning extra money at summer jobs and possibly working on their tans, Flores, a native of Baytown, Texas, has been busy flying between Morgantown and Mexico City, training with the Mexican Women's National Team. Additionally, the President's List honoree and 2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region Third Team selection has been enrolled in summer courses as she continues to pursue her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology.
If ever there was a need for more than 24 hours in a day, Flores could certainly make a case, but instead she utilizes every minute she has available, easily balancing her obligations for the Mountaineers, the national team and her academics.
Flores has many years of time-management practice. While playing club soccer for Albion Hurricanes FC and AHFC 97G in Texas, her coaches suggested she take advantage of her Mexican descent and try out for the nation's youth national teams.
"I always brushed off their suggestions because I didn't realize it was possible," Flores explained. "The national team had a few scouts at our tournaments, and I received an invite via email. I went out and got a passport right away."
Flores' first appearance was in 2013, when she helped the Mexican U-17 Women's National Team defeat the United States and Canada at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and earned a spot on the CONCACAF All-Star Team. That same year, she captained the squad at the Four Nations Tournament in Costa Rica.
"It was different at first. I didn't know any of the girls. I'm fluent in Spanish, but it's hard to understand inside jokes and slang," Flores explained of her first season. "It was an adjustment. It took me awhile, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back at first, but after two weeks I thought it was really cool and knew it was what I wanted to do."
Flores quickly moved up the ranks, and in 2015, her rookie season at WVU, she made her first appearance with the Mexican U-20 Women's National Team. The next year, she was unavailable for a handful of matches during WVU's run to the NCAA College Cup as she competed with Mexico at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Flores earned her first call from the full Mexican Women's National Team in 2017.
Though she has been forced to miss time with the Mountaineers in pursuit of a roster spot with various national teams, Flores knows her experiences in Morgantown and with Mexico on the global scene benefit her overall growth and development.
"The thing that has helped me the most is I have been exposed to many different styles of play," Flores said. "Different types of coaching and different types of opponents present new challenges. I have had a taste of everything, and those experiences help me be more aware on the field."
Those opportunities were invaluable at WVU in 2017, as Flores transitioned from playing off the bench at midfield to a full-time starter at center back, assuming the open spot on the Mountaineers' backline left by four-time All-American and 2016 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy winner Kadeisha Buchanan.
A few growing pains aside, Flores quickly flourished, starting all 23 matches and ranking first on the team with 2,131 minutes played. WVU posted 13 shutouts and allowed just 16 opponent goals, the fewest allowed by a Big 12 Conference team. Additionally, she tallied the game-winning goal in the Mountaineers' 1-0 victory at No. 14 Princeton, earning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week nod. At season's end, the All-Big 12 Second Team honoree was named WVU's Most Improved Player.
The Mountaineer backline is expected to be the team's strongest unit as WVU heads into the 2018, as Flores' classmates, Bianca St. Georges and Easther Mayi Kith, as well as junior goalkeeper Rylee Foster, all return.
"We want to lead the team this year," Flores said of WVU's defense. "We have so much experience outside of college soccer. We're all going to help, too, whoever assumes Z's (2017 graduate Amandine Pierre-Louis) spot. I think if we can take care of what we do, we can really focus on the attack and give our teammates more liberty and freedom to do what they need to do."
A self-described "quiet competitor," Flores wants to see the Mountaineers' defensive numbers improve in 2018, too.
"I think our numbers were a shock last year," she explained. "We want to be more of a unit this year. Working together this season, I think it will be pretty hard to get past us."
More than anything, Flores is ready to assume a greater leadership role with the Mountaineers this season as they work through a challenging slate in pursuit of the Big 12 Conference championships and another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
"It's really helpful to be in more of a leadership role," she said. "I have more eyes on me, and I want to take care of myself so I can help my teammates. I feel my role is to make others' roles easier. I'm excited to be back out there with my teammates."
In the back of Flores' mind always is keeping her roster spot with the Mexican Women's National Team, as well as maintaining a tough academic standard.
"Balancing everything is definitely the hardest part," she explained. "It's hard because things do overlap. If it was up to me, I would be in two places at the same time. Luckily, I have understanding coaches both here at WVU and with the national team. It's a give-and-take. While it's easier said than done, I try to focus on wherever I am at the given moment. If I'm here at school, then I'm giving everything to WVU. If I get the chance to go to a national camp, then I'm giving everything to the national team.
"It's hard, but time management is helping me right now."
Flores and the Mountaineers opened their preseason training camp at Dreamswork Field on Aug. 1. WVU's 2018 season opener at Penn State is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 17, with kick at Jeffrey Field set for 7:30 p.m.
Vanessa Flores, a senior defender for the West Virginia University women's soccer team, is not familiar with the concept of downtime. While many of her WVU classmates have spent the last few months decompressing from classes, earning extra money at summer jobs and possibly working on their tans, Flores, a native of Baytown, Texas, has been busy flying between Morgantown and Mexico City, training with the Mexican Women's National Team. Additionally, the President's List honoree and 2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region Third Team selection has been enrolled in summer courses as she continues to pursue her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology.
If ever there was a need for more than 24 hours in a day, Flores could certainly make a case, but instead she utilizes every minute she has available, easily balancing her obligations for the Mountaineers, the national team and her academics.
Flores has many years of time-management practice. While playing club soccer for Albion Hurricanes FC and AHFC 97G in Texas, her coaches suggested she take advantage of her Mexican descent and try out for the nation's youth national teams.
"I always brushed off their suggestions because I didn't realize it was possible," Flores explained. "The national team had a few scouts at our tournaments, and I received an invite via email. I went out and got a passport right away."
Flores' first appearance was in 2013, when she helped the Mexican U-17 Women's National Team defeat the United States and Canada at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and earned a spot on the CONCACAF All-Star Team. That same year, she captained the squad at the Four Nations Tournament in Costa Rica.
"It was different at first. I didn't know any of the girls. I'm fluent in Spanish, but it's hard to understand inside jokes and slang," Flores explained of her first season. "It was an adjustment. It took me awhile, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back at first, but after two weeks I thought it was really cool and knew it was what I wanted to do."
Flores quickly moved up the ranks, and in 2015, her rookie season at WVU, she made her first appearance with the Mexican U-20 Women's National Team. The next year, she was unavailable for a handful of matches during WVU's run to the NCAA College Cup as she competed with Mexico at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Flores earned her first call from the full Mexican Women's National Team in 2017.
Though she has been forced to miss time with the Mountaineers in pursuit of a roster spot with various national teams, Flores knows her experiences in Morgantown and with Mexico on the global scene benefit her overall growth and development.
"The thing that has helped me the most is I have been exposed to many different styles of play," Flores said. "Different types of coaching and different types of opponents present new challenges. I have had a taste of everything, and those experiences help me be more aware on the field."
Those opportunities were invaluable at WVU in 2017, as Flores transitioned from playing off the bench at midfield to a full-time starter at center back, assuming the open spot on the Mountaineers' backline left by four-time All-American and 2016 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy winner Kadeisha Buchanan.
A few growing pains aside, Flores quickly flourished, starting all 23 matches and ranking first on the team with 2,131 minutes played. WVU posted 13 shutouts and allowed just 16 opponent goals, the fewest allowed by a Big 12 Conference team. Additionally, she tallied the game-winning goal in the Mountaineers' 1-0 victory at No. 14 Princeton, earning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week nod. At season's end, the All-Big 12 Second Team honoree was named WVU's Most Improved Player.
The Mountaineer backline is expected to be the team's strongest unit as WVU heads into the 2018, as Flores' classmates, Bianca St. Georges and Easther Mayi Kith, as well as junior goalkeeper Rylee Foster, all return.
"We want to lead the team this year," Flores said of WVU's defense. "We have so much experience outside of college soccer. We're all going to help, too, whoever assumes Z's (2017 graduate Amandine Pierre-Louis) spot. I think if we can take care of what we do, we can really focus on the attack and give our teammates more liberty and freedom to do what they need to do."
A self-described "quiet competitor," Flores wants to see the Mountaineers' defensive numbers improve in 2018, too.
"I think our numbers were a shock last year," she explained. "We want to be more of a unit this year. Working together this season, I think it will be pretty hard to get past us."
More than anything, Flores is ready to assume a greater leadership role with the Mountaineers this season as they work through a challenging slate in pursuit of the Big 12 Conference championships and another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
"It's really helpful to be in more of a leadership role," she said. "I have more eyes on me, and I want to take care of myself so I can help my teammates. I feel my role is to make others' roles easier. I'm excited to be back out there with my teammates."
In the back of Flores' mind always is keeping her roster spot with the Mexican Women's National Team, as well as maintaining a tough academic standard.
"Balancing everything is definitely the hardest part," she explained. "It's hard because things do overlap. If it was up to me, I would be in two places at the same time. Luckily, I have understanding coaches both here at WVU and with the national team. It's a give-and-take. While it's easier said than done, I try to focus on wherever I am at the given moment. If I'm here at school, then I'm giving everything to WVU. If I get the chance to go to a national camp, then I'm giving everything to the national team.
"It's hard, but time management is helping me right now."
Flores and the Mountaineers opened their preseason training camp at Dreamswork Field on Aug. 1. WVU's 2018 season opener at Penn State is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 17, with kick at Jeffrey Field set for 7:30 p.m.
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