Atalia Ramirez has all kinds of stories and pictures from vacationing in Puerto Rico with her parents, but the one memory that always sticks out is the day she took her soccer skills international.
"He thought we were going to this camp in Puerto Rico so I could stay in shape, but it ended up being the national soccer team camp," she says.
The spur of the moment tryout led to coaches asking her to play on the Puerto Rican women's U-20 national team.
Ramirez spent three weeks training and playing center midfielder for the overseas squad.
She says, "Two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon for three weeks straight. So, it was legit eat, sleep, play soccer."
At only 16 years old, Ramirez had to dribble through some tough competition.
"Trinidad, they were all fast, and Cuba, they were technical and fast... It was a good experience to learn how to manage different teams."
She took a few more lessons back with her to FPD and helped the Vikings take home the state championship.
"I learned a lot about leadership and I learned a lot about chemistry. I learned how one person can change the whole game," Ramirez said.
She'll have another shot with the Puerto Rican team when they prep for the U-20 World Cup qualifiers next year.