Mia de Villegas Decker knows how to make a difference on and off the soccer field.
She is a speedy senior striker for the Palisades High School girls soccer team, who led the Bulldogs to one of their best seasons in years and used that success to earn a spot on the Division I roster after graduation next month.
“I think it's very important (to go out with a bang). Not just for myself, but I think we need to leave something behind here in the Palisades,” said Dee, who plays at American University in Washington, D.C. Villegas Decker said. I have it at the moment. It's important to find ways to help your teammates feel confident heading into next season. ”
De Villegas-Decker has the same goal off the pitch. She advocates for students at the local and state level through community organizing with Western Slope Youth Voices, a program of the nonprofit Western Colorado Alliance that supports children on this side of the Rocky Mountains.
She came to Colorado by way of the Washington DC area. Mia's father (and current coach), Raul de Villegas-Decker, works as an executive at a veterans hospital. Her family, including Raul's wife Aracely, moved to Colorado when Mia was young, and Raul was aiming to live in Colorado Springs.
“They hired someone with military veteran experience and introduced me to Grand Junction. They said it was similar to Colorado Springs,” Raul recalled with a laugh. “It's not quite the same… We came across Dual Immersion Academy and found out it was a bilingual program and here he is in his eight-year program leading to the IB (International Baccalaureate) program.
“Palisade is a little hidden gem that supports our student-athletes in every way possible.”
Please ask anyone. Mia puts her heart into everything she does. And she accomplished a lot. Dance, ballet, karate, her IB program at Palisade, not to mention soccer and her advocacy work. Mia shifted her focus to soccer from around the age of seven.
Raul immigrated to the United States from Bolivia, and Aracely immigrated from Nicaragua. Mia was a natural fit for the match as both countries have a reputation for their love of soccer and Raul had also played in the game before his injury.
“It’s a great way to connect with both cultures and families,” said Mia, who attended Dual Immersion Academy for similar reasons. “(My parents) both grew up watching it, and all my cousins there are doing it, so it’s a bridge between the two sides.”
A masterpiece of soccer
Mia has excelled in the world game for most of her life.
“She's a senior, younger than the others. So, her recreational team got a chance to play. I think it was her U9 year. She's taller than me and bigger. I was competing against girls who were bigger and faster, and I think I just enjoyed that competitiveness,” Raul said. “From that point on, she always wanted to be on the best team. She always wanted to compete against the older girls, she wanted to beat the older girls. Ta.”
She started taking college soccer seriously in middle school and still keeps a list of top prospects in her notes app.
Mia had the opportunity to play for coaches at Stanford in the eighth grade and realized how difficult it would be to balance Power 5 athletics with her Stanford education. Moreover, despite the Valley's growing soccer infrastructure, the quality of competition she faces pales in comparison to what many Stanford freshmen face. But that didn't deter her from pursuing her DI school where she could excel both inside and outside of the classroom.
She flies east during the summer and breaks to attend as many school certification camps as possible, but for many players, it will be the only time they get to play directly with their coaches.
There were moments during the recruiting process that felt like being hit in the face with a soccer ball. Mia saw programs sign girls who were headed to the U.S. women's national team, and she lost contact with coaches along the way.
“I toured a few schools and then went to my fourth ID camp at American University. That was my last plan,” Mia said. “I was like, 'OK, whatever happens, happens.' I'm just going to give it my all and do the best I can.”
done.
Shortly thereafter, Mia received an email that differed from the cookie-cutter responses she had received from the previous three ID camps. That led to a phone call and an offer.
“That's why I thanked the American coaches. It took me a while to break the superficial relationship with them, but they took the opportunity and I'm really grateful for that opportunity.” she said.
Mir showed his value on the field for the Bulldogs (11-1-1, 7-1-1 Western Slope League).
She has scored 26 of Palisade's 76 goals over the past two seasons. Even if she isn't scoring goals, her mere presence attracts defenders and creates opportunities to cause damage to Palisade's deep lineup.
“Her speed was a big factor from an early age. Her speed is a talent that she has cultivated,” Raul said. “Her resourcefulness on and off the field has helped her on the field as well. She understands where the opportunities are to tactically break through players and the defensive line.”
And just as Mia can dispatch opponents with precision and turn teammates' passes into goals, she can identify problems in her community and work with others to solve them.
Overwhelming presence
Athletics is an extension of culture and community, and Mia's philosophy in athletics extends to academics and advocacy as well.
“I've been immersed in that political scene. It's fun and engaging. I like having a positive impact on the world. That's how I've been able to help the community here.” said Mia, who is eyeing a career in professional soccer and political science at American University. “In seventh grade, I was invited to join Bookcliff Middle School’s student-led Equity Council, a program started by his IB seniors here at Palisade.”
Mia wanted to start advocating for students like herself. She felt that DIA's student community was often ignored or unfairly ignored as troublemakers.
Through her beliefs, voice, and passion, she and her colleagues at West Slope Youth Voices (WSYV) aim to overturn such negative perceptions and advocate for all students in the Valley.
WSYV works to encourage young people to participate in society. The program played a role in securing a health center for Grand Junction High School and has worked to build a student advisory committee with School District 51.
“Earlier this year, we brought them to the state Capitol where she testified before a committee of legislators on a bill dealing with access to health care in the school system,” said the organizing director of the nonprofit Western Colorado Alliance. , said Jeriel Dyer. Sponsor of the WSYV program. “She's someone who works hard to make a difference for the things she's passionate about, whether it's sports or the community. She's really passionate and tenacious and willing to put in the work.”
That effort includes going to public events with board members to ask questions about hot topics and visiting schools to gather feedback on how students would like to see the district improve. It is included.
Raul was impressed with how hard Mia went to advocate for the issues she cared about, from representing students from diverse backgrounds to speaking at school board coffee sessions. I received it.
Do you see your daughter working with a group to create measurable positive change, whether it's in politics or high-level sports? No, that's all a parent can ask for.
“Of all the successes she's had, it doesn't happen often, but 99.9 percent of it comes from the work and effort she put in,” Raul said. “It is a very happy moment for her wife and I to see years of hard work materialize into something she can hold on to.”
Pull quote
“I've been immersed in that political scene. It's fun and engaging. I like having a positive impact on the world. That's how I've been able to help the community here.” — Mia de Villegas Decker {relative_content_uuid}2f61a50b-0949-4ad8-b178-be07322b834a{/popular_content_uuid}
