The Ave Herald

Sisters Laura and Christine Mastandrea of Ave Maria are serious about soccer.

Laura, 13, has been playing competitively since she was eight years old and now plays for the Naples Sharks. Her sister, Christine, is captain of the Ave Maria University women's soccer team.

This weekend, Laura and three of her Naples teammates will be competing in Fort Myers at the Olympic Development Trials of the Florida Youth Soccer Association. The trials are organized on local, state and national regional levels to identify potential players for U.S. national teams. (Right, Laura, in foreground, practices with the Naples Sharks.)

There will be as many as 200 players at this weekend's trials and Laura says she "looks forward to competing against the best players so I can keep improving."

Laura is in the 8th grade at Donahue Academy and practices soccer at least five times a week -- three times with her Naples team and twice a week on her own at North Park.

Only a few players attending the trials this weekend will be selected to compete in higher-level trials.

"Just going to the trials and getting instruction from the top coaches and trainers is a great opportunity," Laura said.