As winter sports continue through the season, FHS senior Rylan Cashman is in the last stretch of her high school soccer career. However, there are no plans for Cashman to be done with soccer in the near future, as she has committed to Santa Clara University.
On Jan. 26, 2024, Cashman announced on Instagram that she had verbally committed to further her academic and athletic career at Santa Clara University. In her post she thanked her family, friends, coaches, teammates, her club team and the Santa Clara Sporting Club for helping her reach her dream of becoming a Bronco and continuing her parents’ legacy.
Cashman has always had a passion for soccer, as her soccer journey first began when she was just three years old. Her parents, who were Division 1 athletes, were the ones who initially encouraged her to join soccer and pursue her dream of getting into Santa Clara University. Her mother especially pushed her to train a lot before and after practices. Although Cashman’s love for soccer was inconsistent during middle school due to a coach that was not quite right for her, her passion for soccer resurfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Balancing school and soccer has been challenging for Cashman at times, as some days she would come back late at night and have to go straight to bed. Nevertheless, Cashman remained motivated to reach her goals because of the people around her.
Becoming a D1 athlete is not easy. Sometimes, students do not even think of playing their sport in college. But for those who aim to play in college, Cashman’s advice for getting to where she is now, a D1 commit, is to always work hard and put the time into what you want to achieve.
“You don’t always have to go hangout with your friends and have all the fun before you have accomplished all your goals,” Cashman said. “If you want something, then try to accomplish that goal before you go and have all the fun.”
According to her teammate, FHS senior Malak El Bahey, Cashman is kind to everyone and on the field Cashman is an energetic leader to her teammates. With her hope that they are able to win Leagues, she guides her teammates to do different things and she is always in control of the game.
“She’s always trying to gain control of the game and always trying to create opportunities for the team,” Bahey said.
As of January, the FHS Varsity girls soccer team takes fourth place overall in the El Camino league with six wins, two loses and one tie.
“[During the] high school soccer season, I want to win the league and I want to make it to CCS [Central Coast Section] and win before me and all my friends graduate,” Cashman said. “In college my goals are to go and win an NCAA tournament my freshman year, or maybe just any year.”
