By Kirk Kern
When Obriella Ojeda returned to classes at Somerset Academy Skye Canyon at the start of the school year, she had a great story to tell about her summer vacation.
While many classmates visited sites around the United States or just chilled locally, Obriella was playing in an international soccer tournament in Northern Ireland.
Obriella is part of the Las Vegas Heat Surf soccer program and was one of more than 400 athletes nationally who tried out for the Surf Select national team.
She was selected for the first team and played in the SuperCup tournament in Northern Ireland in July. Her team made it to the championship game but was ultimately defeated by the Manchester United Academy girls’ team.
“We had the best trip, truly the trip of a lifetime,” said Jeka Ojeda, Obriella’s mother. “As a family, we support Obriella’s journey 100 percent. We got to come out and watch her compete against some of the best youth teams in the UK, and we also got to see the beautiful country of Northern Ireland.
“It was the best of both worlds for us, even with her two little sisters, who are her biggest fans.”
The entire Ojeda family, including father Ojay and daughters Arya Jax and Mila June made the trip.
For Obriella, playing overseas was fun, but it required a big adjustment to her regular game.
“My experience playing overseas was very different from playing in the states,” she said. “Little details stood out, like not being allowed to wear slides or Crocs at all during game days—you have to wear closed-toe running shoes.”
On the pitch, it was all business. Obriella said the rules are the same as those found in professional soccer, and the players were very physical and highly skilled. There were also the cultural adjustments.
“Like calling fries ‘chips,’” she said. “Their fish and chips were honestly one of my favorite parts of the trip.”
The Commitment
to Progress
Obriella’s parents first enrolled her in soccer when she was five years old, basically as a way for the then-only child to socialize and make friends.
“She mostly had no one to play with,” Jeka said. “We just wanted her to do some activities, get out of the house, and mingle with other kids. She showed promise at a very early stage, and she loved it more and more each year.”
She thrived at an early age, and her parents committed fully to helping her progress her game.
“She was 10 years old when we realized she was technically ahead of her peers,” Jeka [said. “That paid off from all the private training she did at a younger age. We focused more on ball skills and ball mastery and continue to do so.”
Obriella is mainly a winger on the pitch, but her coaches have been moving her to attacking midfielder and center-forward recently—positions that are more involved in scoring goals.
Along the way, she has moved up in the world of club soccer, facing elite competition in Las Vegas and around the West.
“I love the competition,” Obriella said. “I love the intensity the game brings, and I like when the coaches challenge us in games or practices and we get to see the results of the work we put in.
“I enjoy playing with and against great players; it makes the game so much fun.”
Moving up to the club level required a big commitment not only from Obriella but also the entire Ojeda family.
“Youth sports at this level are a huge commitment,” Jeka said. “She misses out on a lot of things as a teenager, but she knows that if she really wants it, it requires a very strict and serious commitment.”
Jeka said Obriella follows a daily routine to keep her body in shape and rested, while fitting in multiple ball workouts between school and club practices.
“We’re at the point where she does her own training without us telling her to,” Jeka said.
Focus on Recovery
One thing Obriella doesn’t sacrifice, though, is sleep. Jake said they make sure she gets 9–10 hours every night.
“It’s honestly the most important part of her recovery,” Jeka said. “With nutrition, we focus on giving her the right balance of protein, fats, and carbs so she’s fueled before games and training. And after every workout, she always drinks chocolate milk for muscle recovery.”
For Obriella, she hopes all this discipline and hard work will pay off in reaching some pretty lofty soccer goals.
She hopes to play Division 1 college soccer and aspires to play professionally and as part of the U.S. National Team.
But she’s still also a kid, and while she focuses exclusively on soccer competitively, there’s still time for other fun activities.
“I do love to snowboard during the season, and I’ll occasionally play basketball during recess or P.E.,” she said. “I love playing sports and learning new things that involve competition.”