Soccer is a sport that is growing in popularity, even in places where football and other traditional sports are more prominent. For Haley and Jordan Sturla, soccer is the sport in their lives, which may be due in part to the fact that the two middle-school athletes have lived in countries where soccer was the sport to follow.
Haley, 12, and Jordan, 13, are seventh and eighth-graders (respectively) at Aaron Cohn Middle School in Midland. As the older of three children in a military family, the Sturlas have been fortunate to travel to many places outside of this country due to their father’s service in the U.S. Army. Croatia and Indonesia are just two of the stops the teens have called home. Soccer in those countries, and other foreign places, is not just a pastime.
“In Croatia, they are serious about soccer,” says Haley.
Nodding in agreement, her older brother adds that soccer isn’t just a game, it is the national sport in many instances.
“People follow it like football here. You go in places to eat and soccer is always on the television,” he says.
The Sturlas began playing soccer before they ever lived abroad. When Haley was 3 years old and her brother was 4, they had their first experience with the sport while living in North Carolina. According to both of them, it was something they loved from the beginning.
“Back then, you were basically just running around after the ball and learning a few basics, but it was what I wanted to do,” Haley says.
She tried softball and gymnastics, but never felt the same way about those ventures as she did about soccer. Even though she was young, she decided soccer was going to be the focus of her athletic endeavors, and she has stuck to that plan.
Jordan Sturla also has made soccer the sole sport in which he participates at this point in his life. The 5’9” athlete is a left striker for the Aaron Cohn Bulldogs boys soccer team. He confesses he loves his position on the field for one particular reason.
“I get to score,” he says with a smile.
The Sturla siblings moved outside of the United States for a few years and later returned to North Carolina. From their time on foreign military bases, they both had a desire to delve more into the techniques of soccer because of the passion they saw firsthand for the sport in other lands. They worked on their skills by playing club soccer, but did not play on school teams until they arrived at Aaron Cohn Middle School for the 2014-15 school year.
Haley, a bit shorter than her brother at 4’9”, plays center mid for the ACMS girls soccer team. She feels the position is perfect for her, because she gets to control the center and help her teammates.
While Jordan is a talented athlete who has a self-imposed dedication to the sport, he says he has found soccer to be more than just a physical game.
“When I am playing soccer, it gets my mind off of everything. I can forget whatever else is on my mind and focus on what I need to be doing with the ball; where it needs to go, what I need to do to help my team. I just focus on that,” says Jordan.
The Sturlas have played together on co-ed teams in the past and with prompting, admit a little sibling rivalry might have existed. Laughing, they acknowledge they are brother and sister after all, and it is normal to get on each other’s nerves occasionally.
These days, they play on separate teams, and often at the same time, which doesn’t allow for much cheering for one another. Close together in age, as well as being part of a family who has made multiple moves over time, has produced a bond between the two siblings. This aspect of their relationship is evident when asked about the strengths each has on the soccer.
“Jordan is better at passing and shooting the ball. When I watch him play and see his mistakes, I tell him, but I learn from them and try to do better by watching him,” says Haley.
“She is faster. Haley is a faster runner. I try to watch her game if I am not playing, but most of the time my games are the same time as hers,” says Jordan.
As if playing soccer at the middle school level didn’t provide enough of the sport, the Sturlas are members of Columbus Futbol Club (CFC) Red Star. The young athletes play soccer for the Bulldogs while simultaneously playing with Red Star, and their soccer experience also extends past the middle school fall sport season.
The Sturlas expect to remain in the area for a few more years before their father receives another military posting. Exceling in the classroom as well, they have given a little thought to high school but know they are looking for a school where they can continue to develop their skills and pursue their passion for the sport of soccer. For now, they are more interested in the soccer season at hand.
“We really like it here. The coaches help us a lot, and I have found that my teammates are willing to pass the ball around. I just want to represent my school and do a good job,” says Jordan.
Waiting for her brother to finish speaking, Haley Sturla then adds her sentiments.
“The coaches encourage us. I have found my teammates don’t argue among each other. We work together. We’ve found it to be a good program here,” she says.
Columbus Valley/Rising Star/October 2015
Haley and Jordan Sturla
Aaron Cohn Middle School
Midland, GA
By Beth Welch
Photos by Jerry Christenson
Siblings find soccer to be worldly venture
