Senior captain profile: Jaime Chavarria

Haley Rockwell • October 16, 2016

As a way to escape the stress and struggles in life, boys varsity senior soccer captain, Jaime Chavarria fell in love with the game of soccer.

Chavarria anticipates a ball in the air off a throw-in. Photo Credit: Haley Rockwell

Getting involved with competitive soccer through an organization called CORE, Chavarria entered the sport that has changed his life. The Core Soccer Academy is a day long camp where players go to play soccer all day. The coordinator of the camp was impressed with Chavarria’s abilities and persuaded him into continuing with soccer. The first year of competitive soccer was a complete disaster, they went 0-10 during the season. After a horrific season, Chavarria’s team got a new coach, Craig Deacon. “He has been the best coach I’ve ever had. We went from losing every game to winning championships with him because he got the fight out of us and showed us the way to play.” Deacon was the coach of that team for 3 years and those were the best 3 years of Chavarria’s soccer career because they played for each other as well as for their coach. He has played for Storm FC ever since he had Deacon as his coach and playing for this club has brought him some of his favorite memories. “My favorite memories are not winning championships, but the people I’ve met and the fun I’ve had with those people.” For Chavarria, his best relationships have been made through soccer. Playing a sport with a team of about 16 players creates another “family” relationship and this is true for Chavarria, his team is his second family.

Chavarria lays the ball off to other senior captain, Martinez. Photo Credit: Haley Rockwell

As this is the last season of high school soccer for Chavarria, he is making a great effort to make it the best season of his high school soccer career. He has been given the opportunity to be one of two of the varsity team’s captain. As the captain, one of his biggest responsibilities is to get the team pumped up and ready to compete before each game. “ I can’t do that without me getting my daily dose of music to get me there.” Another responsibility Chavarria has is to push each of his teammates to work the hardest that they can and to become the best player that they can be. “As a captain, my team expects a lot out of me and I work the hardest that I can to live up to their expectations.” High school soccer is different than club soccer, it is more demanding of the body but also is easier to create lasting relationships with your teammates and your coaches. “The coaches are great, they give up a lot of their time to be here and create great teams and relationships with us. They make the unbearable practices worth going to. Overall, the high school experience is better because you spend more time with your teammates and do more together.” The boys’ season is not going as well as they had hoped but their record doesn’t reflect the bond that they have developed as a team. Other than the relationships that are formed, Chavarria also enjoys to competition during high school season. “I love it in the aspect that you get more games and play all the rivals in town. The games against our rival teams are always the best, they truly showcase the competitiveness of high school soccer.” The team has two more games left in their season, one home game and one away game. Chavarria hopes to finish the season out strong and truly cherish every moment it brings because it will all come to an end in the next week.

Chavarria walks towards his family during the ceremony on senior night. Photo Credit: Haley Rockwell

Soccer is incredibly important to Chavarria, “I play soccer, not only because it’s a great sport and because I’m good at it but because it makes me better as a person.” Playing on the pitch is something that he always looks forward to. “It puts me in a place where I just feel wonderful. It puts me in a different state of mind. It has me active and healthy. Soccer is the sport I love and I feel honored to be playing this great sport and doing it successfully for the past 10 years.” Chavarria hopes that soccer will be a part of the next chapter in his life, meaning playing soccer in college but thinks it is alright if it is not because he cares a lot about his education and soccer is everywhere, he can play it at any time.

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About the Contributor

Haley Rockwell, Sports Editor

Senior Haley Rockwell is a dynamic character in the Fossil Ridge setting, bringing many dimensions to Etched in Stone as well as everything else she is involved in. Her in-depth athletic background enables her to contribute accurate stories on the many sports teams that compete for Fossil, making her leadership of sporting event coverage on the Etched in Stone publication crew. “I’m an athlete, so I’m involved in a lot of sports, and I think that gives me an advantage writing about it since I’m so passionate about it”, she said. As an ambitious soccer player, talented photographer, and member of the journalism program for the past three (now four) years , dedication is definitely a quality that Haley never fails to bring to the table. In fact, her hard work and dedication has earned her commitment to the University of Northern Colorado for soccer, where she is thinking about majoring in business with a minor in journalism. “Journalism has been a big part of my life for the past four years, so I want to continue to pursue it if I can!” she exclaimed.

Apart from being involved in journalism, athletics, and demanding academics, Haley is very interested in the arts. Alongside photography, she also finds peace in the relaxing qualities that drawing offers. “If I need something to escape from the stress of school and soccer, I’ll go draw instead”, she explained. The subject that she most frequently captures in her artwork are wolves, which she considers to be her personal spirit animal. A lover of animals, Haley also has a black cat at home named Shay. She is the oldest of two sisters, and knows very well the responsibilities of taking the lead and making crucial decisions. Haley’s talents are bound to pave a pathway that will take her far, no matter where she chooses to travel. Her strong sense of individuality, hard work, and passion are essential tools that will lead her to a bright and prosperous future.