Faces of Summer SCORES, Part II: Vicky R.

Written by Colin Patch
Digital Media Intern
@DCSCORESinterns

It was noon on a bright sunny Monday, and campers were just arriving to Tubman Elementary School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. The occasion: fields were lined, goals were in place and the final camp of Summer SCORES was ready to kick off.

Elementary and middle school students alike had come from throughout DC to participate in the five-day soccer camp. A glowing green turf field surrounded by stunning pastel-colored row houses in the bustling and eclectic neighborhood provides the perfect setting for kids to leave their houses and get much-needed exercise as well as helpful soccer pointers.

For some, it was their first experience at Tubman camp. For Vicky Rosales, a four-year veteran of DC SCORES, camp felt like a second home.

A rising junior at E.L. Haynes High School, Vicky has been coming to the summer camps regularly since the sixth grade and also participated in fall and spring programming.

Vicky was not the strongest soccer player when she first attended camp, but coaches and fellow campers were quick to make her feel comfortable and help develop her soccer skills.

And while many of her coaches and friends testify to the incredible strides she’s made on the field, her biggest achievement Coach Asa – head coach of the DC SCORES Girls Alumni Team – says is how she’s grown off the field.

“When I first came in 2012/2013 I wouldn’t say she was shy, but she was reserved," Asa said.

"Now that she has seniority, she’s more of a vocal leader; she’s like my assistant

coach on the field."

More than just an assistant coach, Vicky serves as a role model to many of the friends she’s made over the years at DC SCORES. During water breaks and down time, she is the leader of the conversation and never hesitates to reproach one of her younger friends for saying something out of line.

Now, Vicky may only have one summer left to enjoy Summer SCORES camp as an alumna, but her passion for soccer and the legacy she will leave seem certain to live on.

After interviewing her on a sticky 95-degree day in the air-conditioned hallways of Tubman, I asked her if she wanted to stay inside to enjoy the fresh air for a couple minutes longer.

 

“No, I want to go play soccer!” she replied with a cheerful smile. “I was playing yesterday and I hurt my foot, but soccer, soccer, soccer.”