Student-athletes all over the world got their sports season cut short due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. For some athletes, they will never get the opportunity to continue their sports career after high school, but this is not the case for Mission High’s Alondra Martinez and Leila Arriola. Both students have gotten the opportunity to continue to do what they love in sports plus continue their education efforts along the way.
Martinez will continue her soccer career in Huston-Tillotson University and Arriola will continue her track and cross-country career in Texas State University.
Both athletes signed to their college late May via zoom video chat due to social distancing practice. Friends and family members were able to participate and watch both of the athletes’ signings online.
“COVID-19 has obviously restricted everyone from living a daily lifestyle,” Martinez said. “And although it would have been nice to sign in front of my classmates and teammates, it’s nicer to know that they’re healthy and safe. So for that reason I’m happy that zoom exists and that I at least signed like that.”
Martinez started her soccer career in sixth grade. “I just played for fun, I never really got serious about it,” Martinez said. “I was never in outside clubs or leagues so all I did was play in school. As a matter of fact, I was in the robotics team and the coach in charge of the team was actually the head girls soccer coach, so he asked me if I could join the soccer team just to replace the girls that wouldn’t show up to the games and I ended up loving it.”
Martinez did not make the varsity team until she was a sophomore at Mission High School. She was named Most Improved Player her junior year and Defensive Player of the year her senior year for District 5-A.
“I’m really excited to be going to college to play and study,” Martinez said. “As a first-generation from my family to go to college to not only study but play is a really big deal, without my family’s support, I don’t know what I would be doing.”
Besides family, Martinez also had encouragement and motivation from friends and old teammates.
“Iveth Guzmán was a former teammate of mine who graduated two years ago and is also a soccer college athlete,” Martinez said. “Her along with family and friends were the ones who encouraged me to look for this type of opportunity and become a college athlete as well.”
Arriola is also excited to continue her sports career in the college level.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Arriola said. “I’m so happy I proved everyone wrong, I had a couple of injuries throughout my high school years and everyone thought I was done.”
Arriola started running in middle school, where her coaches had seen full potential in her.
“When I got to high school, I was going to stop running but my junior high coach talked to me and told me to keep doing it and that I had a shot to go to college,” Arriola said.
Arriola was in varsity cross country and track for four years of high school. She was not able to run both her sophomore and junior year. Sophomore year she suffered from shin splints and junior year she broke her ankle during a home soccer game.
“Everyone thought I was not going to be able to continue running my senior year, but I did and ended up having personal records in track before the season got cancelled,” Arriola said.
Arriol ran the 1600 meter with a PR of 5:20 and
800 meter with a PR of 2:20.
“I’m so blessed I can still continue running after high school and keep proving people wrong,” Arriola said.