Kicking the ball from Mexico to Rindge

(Repost from November 29th, 2018)

by Hugo Arlabosse

(Photo: Viridiana Vázquez Kloss)

On a cold day of November 2017, the Universidad Del Valle de Mexico women’s soccer team of Veracruz traveled to the national championships final. Fans and families made the trip to cheer them on in hopes of taking home the victory. Three times in a row, Viridiana Vázquez Kloss had finished fourth in this same exact tournament. She did not want to ruin her senior year by losing on the final, thus when she approached the goalkeeper, she kicked the ball on her right side to score the game-winning point. She had just fulfilled her high school dream.

Viridiana Vázquez Kloss was born in the Mexican city of Córdoba, in the state of Veracruz. Her whole life she craved playing soccer, but her country did not grant women’s’ leagues. “When I was younger, my mom wouldn’t let me play with boys but I started at fourteen when I entered high school,” Viridiana said.

With a high-intensity level of training and her win at Nationals, she finally obtained a scholarship in the United States, to study and play at the University of Franklin Pierce. As a business major, Viridiana has ended her first semester in the Spring of 2017 with a perfect 4.0 GPA. “I would not be here if my parents did not provide support. They were very understanding when I told them about my personal projects and I am glad to be able to financially help them with my scholarship,” Viridiana said.

(Photo: Viridiana Vázquez Kloss)

She might have left her family, but she found extraordinary friends in her new soccer team. Like any other international student, she struggled with English during her first months, but her teammates always tried to make her feel comfortable. “Every single one of the girls in my team had an impact on my life here,” Viridiana said.

Kloss has high hopes for her future. After college, she would like to work for a business technology-related company and eventually create her own. Her only fear is putting an end to her soccer career. “I would love to play for a women’s league in the United States or in Mexico, but I certainly don’t want to stop,” she added.

This year, Viridiana and her team capped their fall season with a win at the Northeast 10 championship final. She helped the program rise to a top seven spot in the national rankings, released every year by the American Coaches Association.

Her journey as a student has only begun as she will enter into her sophomore year this next semester. “Being a student at Franklin Pierce has changed my life forever,” Viridiana Vázquez Kloss said.