For the past two years, senior Angelina Amparano has played for UTEP soccer as a goalkeeper. This year, Amparano will retire from the field and walk the stage with a degree in biomedical sciences.
The Tuscon native began playing soccer at just four years old, and her determination to continue the soccer path stemmed from her parents’ encouragement.
“I really wanted to try other sports, but they were like, ‘No, soccer is the good sport. You need to stick with it.’ Ever since then, I just stuck with soccer. I did want to stop playing at one point in my life. But again, my parents were just there [saying], ‘You should continue. You don’t know where it’ll take you,’” Amparano said.
After winning three state championships for Salpointe Catholic High School, Amparano went on to Pima Community College. Unsure of what she wanted to study, Amparano chose Pima CC where she gained valuable experience that influenced her game during her time at UTEP.
“That was one of the best decisions that I think I could have made. One thing that was special about Pima is everybody [on the team] is from Tucson. I played with people who I knew of and who I grew up with, and that was really fun. That just really made me love the sport again. When that was all over, I thought, ‘I really do want to keep playing,’” Amparano said.
Almost by chance, Pima CC scrimmaged UTEP soon after. UTEP soccer coach Gibbs Keeton noticed Amparano’s skill and brought her on as a Miner.
“He gave me the opportunity to come and play here. I went on my visit a week after [the scrimmage] and I just fell in love with UTEP,” Amparano said.
During her time with UTEP, Amparano started in 16 games, played 1,402 minutes, and only allowed 13 goals in total. Amparano also excelled academically as a CUSA Academic Medalist and Honor Roll recipient for two consecutive years.
Balancing athletic and academic success can be difficult, but Amparano asserts that discipline is the key.
“I think that time management is a big thing, and I really learned that and got the hang of it throughout college. Even at Pima, it was time consuming and stressful, but it is rewarding. [When you] have to stay busy, you don’t really have time to get distracted. Everyone likes to go out to party, but I won’t do that unless all my stuff is done,” Amparano said.
Amparano takes inspiration from many aspects of her life, the first being her coaches, who she credits for her mental strength on the field.
“I’ve had really good coaches who have taught me good habits. During the game when I feel like I am alone, I’m honestly just looking at the ball, thinking about what I need to do to block this shot. Am I in a good position? Am I reading the opponent? Am I communicating with my team the right way so that if I do block this shot, they’re there to get the rebound and clear it?” Amparano said. “I could give that to my coaches. That’s how I learned how to do that.”
She is also inspired by the future of El Paso soccer and the growth of the sport within the city.
“In the UTEP community, soccer is growing. I really like having the ID camps here because they really want high school girls to come out and play,” Amparano said.
Though Amparano has one year of eligibility, she has other plans for life after graduation.
“I’m blessed, I was lucky enough to have the five years that I did play, and I just think six would be too much. I’m graduating in May, and I really want to pursue pharmacy school. I want to try and be a pharmacy technician first and then start my [pharmacist] application, so fingers crossed,” Amparano said.
Amparano plans to return to Tuscon following graduation and attend pharmacy school at the University of Arizona. In her absence, she hopes the UTEP soccer program will continue to grow and improve.
Leah Austin is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected].
