[ back ]
A soccer star's homecoming
(by Maggie Fazeli Fard - June 04, 2008)
 |
|
Photo Courtesy of Robyn McNeil
River Vale native Domenique Esposito, 23, is making a name for herself in the world of women’s soccer as a member of the Jersey Sky Blue team. She will return to
Pascack
Valley
High School on Monday, June 9 for a special match against the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team.
|
When River Vale native Domenique Esposito was 8 years old, she was faced with a life-altering decision: to plié, or not to plié?
The aspiring ballerina had discovered a new love on the local “kiddie kick-around” field, and found herself torn.
“I was a dancer as well,” Esposito remembers. “Soccer was up-and-coming and it wasn’t really popular for girls… Then soccer started getting really competitive,” she adds, a wry smile audible in her voice.
Over the past 15 years, Esposito has progressed from playing on River Vale’s Rowdy Soccer Club to attaining All-State selection at
Pascack
Valley
High School to winning five state titles and two regional championships as a PDA Torpedo.
She was a leading scorer as a Rutgers Scarlet Knight from 2003 to 2007 despite a persistent knee injury, and played twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs for Jersey Sky Blue, a contender in the W-League, currently the highest level women’s soccer league in
North America .
Today, the grands jetés of her childhood far behind her, 23-year-old Esposito has no regrets about following her competitive streak.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a natural athlete,” she admits. “I’ve never played any other sports. But I always worked really hard. I had a strong passion for it. Right now, this is the best soccer I’ve ever played.”
In February, the hard work paid off as Esposito signed for a second time with the Sky Blue team for the 2008 season.
And next Monday, June 9, she’ll return to her Pascack Valley alma mater as she and fellow “veteran” Sky Blue teammates compete in an exhibition match against the next generation of star players, the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team.
“This is one of the most special things I’ve been involved in,” says Jeff Schneider, a Woodcliff Lake resident and the president of Arsenal Soccer, who along with the US Women’s National Team and Jersey Sky Blue is sponsoring the June 9 match. The game is the culmination of a weekend of events with a focus on nurturing female soccer players.
“Girls soccer in New Jersey is excellent soccer,” says Schneider, who also coaches recreational sports teams in
Woodcliff
Lake . “This is really about what we can do for girls.”
First on the slate of weekend activities is an ACL Injury Prevention Clinic for female athletes on Saturday, June 7 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at
Fieldstone
Middle School in Montvale. The free workshop will include medical explanations courtesy of Atlantic Sports Health and hands-on drills, including demos by Sky Blue team members, to teach girls, who suffer ACL injuries five times more often than boys, how to read and take care of their bodies.
Following the clinic will be two matches at
Pascack
Valley
High School in Hillsdale: Nationals v. Arsenal Under-23 Girls at 3 p.m. and Nationals v. Arsenal Under-15 Boys at 4:15 p.m.
|
Upcoming events
|
|
The Arsenal Soccer Club, along with the U.S. Women’s National team and Jersey Sky Blue, will hold a series of events in Montvale and Hillsdale this weekend, culminating with
Pascack
Valley
High School alum Domenique Esposito’s return to her home field on Monday, June 9.
|
|
June 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Sky Blue ACL Injury Prevention Clinic at
Fieldstone
Middle School . Call 201-391-9000.
|
|
June 7 at 3 p.m.
Women’s National Team vs. Arsenal Girls at
Pascack
Valley
High School . Call 201-358-7056.
|
|
June 7 at 4:15 p.m.
Women’s National Team vs. Arsenal Boys at
Pascack
Valley
High School . Call 201-358-7056.
|
|
June 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Jersey Sky Blue vs. N.Y. Magic at
Drew
University . Visit www.drew.edu.
|
|
June 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Women’s National Team vs. Jersey Sky Blue at
Pascack
Valley
High School . Call 201-358-7056.
|
That evening Sky Blue will face off against the N.Y. Magic at 7:30 p.m. at
Drew
University and on Monday, June 9 against the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team.
That evening Sky Blue will face off against the N.Y. Magic at 7:30 p.m. at Drew University and on Monday, June 9 against the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team.
Schneider sees the final match as a chance for the younger generation to learn from their seasoned counterparts.
“I’ve coached baseball, and the little boys mimic professional baseball players like Derek Jeter,” he says. “Boys have something to aspire to. This is an opportunity to have role models for girls.”
But the Under-17 Nationals coach,
Paramus resident Kazbek Tambi, sees it as something more. “It’s a chance to see what the future holds” for women’s soccer.
In September 2003, women’s professional soccer took a hard hit when the high-level Women’s United Soccer Association suspended operations. In the WUSA’s wake, however, efforts by the Women’s Soccer Initiative led to the creation of the plainly named Women’s Professional Soccer, whose seven national teams will begin play in April 2009.
“The women’s league folded right around when I was going to college,” says Esposito, noting that with the launch of WPS, “there’s more opportunity for playing soccer.”
“I hope women’s soccer will continue to grow,” she says, though her wish is not as considerate of the young players nipping at her heels as Schneider and Tambi would like to believe.
“Overseas, you peak when you get out of college,” says Esposito, clearly not yet ready to retire her cleats. “I’ve never loved soccer more than I do now. My number one goal right now is to play pro.”
For more information, visit www.arsenalsoccernj.com, www.ncsanj.com or e-mail Jeff Schneider at jpssport@aol.com.
Maggie Fazeli Fard's e-mail address is fazelifard@northjersey.com.
[ back ]
