Sandy High Schooler’s Focus On Soccer Is a Kick

By Joe O’LearyThe Mountain Times

Focus is an immensely powerful tool when it comes to trying to be the best at whatever it is you spend your time doing. We’re all ultimately given a choice how we use our energy, and how hard we want to focus on the things we do.

15 year-old Sebastian Avila considers himself to be a focused individual. Last season, as a freshman, the midfielder made the Sandy High School boys varsity soccer team. The season presented its natural challenges for him, being younger and smaller than many of his opponents.

“It was hard getting used to the physicality of high school ball. I was always used to a more technical environment and not so much physical,” Avila said. However, a keen focus on improving and sticking to technique pushed Avila into an important role for a Sandy team coming off one of their better years of head coach Christopher Cramer’s tenure thus far. 

Avila was used as an all around central midfielder last season, but he shined especially defensively, frequently pressing opposing attacks and cutting them off before they could start then setting up the early stages of Pioneer retaliation. Avila doesn’t waiver in his passion for the sport and growing as a player and person.

“It’s important to me that I don’t fall into temptations. So much is normalized now, people have bad habits. Smoking, drinking, stuff that won’t help you leading into your future,” Avila said. Playing soccer since childhood, immense practice in and out of team environments has turned the sport into a constant positive outlet for Avila. 

“I’ve been playing since I was eight, so seven years. It’s something I decided to dedicate myself to that will make me better instead of worse,” Avila said. Outside of high school, Avila plays for Oregon Premier, a club based in Lake Oswego that produces more college soccer players than nearly any other club in Oregon.

“This fall I’d really really like to make an all conference team and make the playoffs again,” Avila explained. Avila noted how much a season of varsity high school soccer at 14 helped him when he went back to play for his club team, and he overall seems ready to put in the work it takes to keep developing into a more complete player during his sophomore season. Building on a foundation of technical command and advanced feel for the flow of the game, Avila has focused on building up his frame and improving as an athlete to elevate the heart of the Sandy High School soccer team.