GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Juventus Academy trains young soccer talents worldwide, including Georgetown's Natalie Roblero Chávez, who is thrilled about her second visit to the prestigious two-week camp in Italy.
She told CoastTV News that last year's training emphasized the importance of mental strength and introduced her to new techniques, which she now practices at home.
"My experience was really amazing. It was a really new culture and environment, and being able to go there was really dream-like because I've never been to another country, especially for football, too," Roblero Chávez said.
She also shared how the experience changed her for the better. "Before, I was really shy, especially a shy person going to a different country by themselves," she explained. "I think I grew as a person because I got out of my comfort zone a lot, and I also learned to speak for myself instead of, you know, my parents always being there and speaking for me, too."
Roblero Chávez's achievements are a source of pride for her family, as they show the sacrifices that everyone has made since she started playing soccer when she was nine years old.
"It has not been easy. It has been quite a process because we have had to travel sometimes 45 minutes to an hour for her trainings, but with God's help, everything is done, and we are still in that fight for her and those blessings also that we have received from her," said her dad, Pedro Roblero De León, in Spanish.
This year Roblero Chávez has also been invited to England, a trip that could also shape her future soccer career.
"It consists of looking at a college, the University of Central Lancashire. We're going to get to see and tour it, and also just look at the soccer program because they will be recruiting me, and it's probably the first one, so I'm really excited about that," Roblero Chávez said.
Roblero Chávez, expected to leave for Italy on June 29, told CoastTV News she's looking forward to exploring the culture more in-depth as well as seeing the coaches and the professional environment.
Contributions to support her trip can be made via her GoFundMe page.