Last weekend, Sting Black’s Adrianna Contin had the honor of playing for Team Venezuela’s U15 Team at CONMEBOL’s Liga Evolución in Paraguay.

Stepping on the field for her first game representing Venezuela last Friday against Ecuador was a dream come true for Contin, who always knew she wanted to play at the top level.

 

“Soccer is life, of course I dreamed to make it big,” Contin said.

 

In addition to fulfilling her dream of making it big, Contin also followed in her father, Hector’s, footsteps, as he played baseball for the Venezuelan National team.

 

“As kid I represented my country for baseball and for her to experience something of this level is amazing,” Adrianna’s father said. “Not everyone gets do this. It makes us very proud.”

 

Adrianna’s Sting coach Adam Flynn also knows the significance of playing for the National team.

 

“To represent your country, wear your country’s crest on your chest, represent your family name on the back of your shirt – that is the stuff dreams are made of,” Flynn said. “For Adri to achieve this at 13 years old is truly inspirational for all the young girls following in her footsteps within the Sting Black program.”

 

While Adrianna was looking forward to not only representing Venezuela but also playing on the picturesque fields in Paraguay, there were other differences from club soccer that she had to overcome.    

 

“The biggest difference is that for a club you have time to create chemistry and to practice consistently,” Contin said. “Playing for a national team is joining great players from all different areas and styles of play. Trying to then turn us into a team and play against the best of other countries is an experience!”

 

With the lack of playing time together, the first minute did not go as planned, as Ecuador immediately found the back of the net for the first goal of the match. But Contin and her teammates showed resilience, battling back to even the score later in the first half, where the scoring would stop.

 

Rising above adversity is something that Adrianna has done throughout her soccer development.

 

“Adri has had her ups and down trying to develop who she is today,” her parent’s said. “Coach Adam gave her that chance and freedom. He has seen her from a young age playing against her on other teams and knew she had potential, she just needed to dig deep and find it again.”

 

Seeing that potential and giving players the resources, coaching and opportunity to maximize it is a key tenant of Sting, and one of the main reasons Contin’s decided to join the club.

 

“I’ve known Coach Adam Flynn for years,” Adrianna said. “I’ve played against him, now I play with him. When he took me onto his team I was at my lowest. Not only did he remind me of who I was, but he’s lifted me to new standards and levels. The best thing he’s taught me is that mistakes are OK. They are a part of the game, they are going to happen, but it’s how you react. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and get better.”

 

Her parents agreed.

 

“The culture around sting is different,” Adrianna’s parents said. “This is our 2nd year, and our experience has been different than with other clubs. Every player, whether starter or nonstarter gets the same amount of attention and work to develop if they want it.”

 

While she may be only 13, Adrianna still had some good advice for players looking to follow in her footsteps.

 

“Enjoy what you do, enjoy the hard work, enjoy the game, have fun and give 120 percent every single time.”

 

For those looking to follow Adrianna’s journey, visit CONMEBOL.com. You can watch her play from CONMEBOL’s official YouTube Channel at CONMEBOL – YouTube.