Fossil Ridge High School freshman Jaelin Howell will be playing for the U17 Women’s National Soccer team this fall. Only 20 girls in the entire country are on the team. The process to make the team is long. To qualify Howell had to get invited to a camp, and continue to be called back until she was invited to join the national team by B.J. Snow, the Women’s National Team Coach. Every three or four months the team will go to California for a one week long training camp where the girls will practice twice a day.

From Aug 25 to Sept 4 Howell and the other girls on the team will be in South Korea to play multiple matches against the host team throughout their stay. South Korea won the U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2008.

Howell has been playing soccer since she was three, and would like to continue to play soccer in college if given the opportunity. Making the U-17 Women’s National Team has been the biggest challenge Howell has overcome. “I just watched soccer and seeing all those players really inspires me,” said Howell.