While on vacation in Cuba during the December break of her junior year, senior Hillary Gonzalez saw a group of boys playing soccer in the dirt. Despite the language differences between them, Gonzalez seamlessly joined the game without saying a word — their shared love of the sport was the bridge between all their differences.
“I just love how [soccer is] its own language,” Gonzalez said. “You don’t really need to be able to communicate with anybody; you can just play with your feet.”
Soccer has been Gonzalez’s passion for over a decade, and she will now be taking it to the collegiate level by playing for Wellesley College’s Division III program.
Gonzalez began playing the sport at age 7 and has participated in club soccer since she was 10. After leaving the Allstars United Soccer Club to join Pleasanton Rage’s 2007 Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) team at the start of her junior year, Gonzalez has also become captain of the school’s varsity soccer team. She primarily plays center back.
At Wellesley, however, Gonzalez was recruited as a winger due to her versatile skill set. Since positions are assigned where they are needed, her role for the team and position may change throughout her time in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
In her sophomore year, Gonzalez received an award for MVP Defender, along with the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League 2nd Team All League Award. As a junior, she received the Scholar-Athlete Award for achieving high academics while playing soccer.
“I can just connect with so many people through soccer,” Gonzalez said, regarding her passion for the sport. “And [that’s] just amazing.”
However, prior to her offer from Wellesley, the past year had been very stressful for Gonzalez. Without any guarantee she would find a college with both strong academics and a well-regarded soccer program and interest in recruiting her, she emailed colleges since the beginning of her junior year. Finally, in February, she received a response from Wellesley, whose coaches expressed their interest in her.
“You’re just emailing into this void, essentially, and you’re like: ‘Am I ever going to end up where I want to be?’” Gonzalez said.
In her emails, Gonzalez sent coaches game film of her playing soccer. Since her freshman year, Gonzalez had recorded videos of all her games. Putting these recordings on her YouTube channel, Gonzalez selected and edited highlights that demonstrated her abilities for potential coaches to evaluate her playing style.
Wellesley coaches had never traveled to see her play in person, so they relied on her videos to gauge her skill level.
After a series of calls, Gonzalez went on an official visit to the campus in April and quickly fell in love with the school culture, but in particular, the camaraderie among the women on the team.
“[The visit] was very emotional,” Gonzalez said. “Everything fit into place.”
Not wanting to close the doors to other potential opportunities, Gonzalez continued to play soccer, attend tournaments and college showcases and email coaches from other schools.
Ultimately, however, though she was extended other offers, she still held Wellesley as her top choice, largely due to its balance between sports and academics.
At Wellesley, Gonzalez plans to study business or economics. Moreover, she will have the opportunity to study at partnered Boston-area schools; for example, she plans to take science and math courses at MIT through cross-registration. But the excellent academics aren’t the only reasons that drew Gonzalez to Wellesley.
With regards to her soccer career, Gonzalez looks forward to competing in the NEWMAC — a top DIII conference — and utilizing Wellesley’s top-notch facilities, coaching and fields. In particular, she appreciates Wellesley’s separate fields for games and practices, which keep the game field in as pristine condition as possible.
Though there was the possibility of her playing highly competitive Division I, Gonzalez didn’t want to be so hyper-focused on soccer that it would mean neglecting her studies. Beyond Wellesley, Gonzalez does not plan to pursue soccer professionally and instead seeks to attend business school after receiving her undergraduate degree.
“I improved my skills; I got where I wanted to be; so I’m happy with the results,” she said.
Gonzalez emphasized the importance of persistence to other athletes hoping to get recruited for their sport.
“It’s a long process,” Gonzalez said. “At the worst of times when you feel horrible, when you feel like you’re not going to get anywhere in life, just keep going, and just maybe that one more email will change things.”
