As the fall football season has come to an end and spring soccer season kicks up, the only female football player, junior Malini Dutta, decided to try out for the girl’s soccer team as the goalkeeper this year. 

   Growing up, Dutta went to a small private school in Newport News, where there were only about ten people in her class, before moving to Glen Allen.

   “The best part of our day [at my elementary school] was running outside to play soccer. I ended up really liking it, and when I moved to the Glen Allen area in third grade, I made the travel Richmond Strikers team and played soccer for Strikers until eighth grade,” Dutta said. 

   Her soccer journey was paused when she tore a ligament in her left ankle and then later came back and sprained her right ankle. In ninth grade, with soccer no longer taking up most of her time, she took an interest in football and began playing on the junior varsity football team halfway through the season. 

   During her sophomore year, while still playing football, she also helped school athletic trainer Alaina Craig at the soccer games to get more experience in sports medicine. It was then she realized she missed being with soccer friends and playing so she tried out and was added to the varsity roster. 

   “I knew that when I am a senior, there won’t be a goalie, so I thought I would come back to play my senior year. But I did really miss it, so I figured I could just play this year too, [and getting] used to it again would be beneficial,” Dutta said. 

   As Dutta has previously played both football and soccer, she realizes that they both seem to require some of the same skills.

   Despite the similarities between the sports, training appears to be different for Dutta.

   “It’s a huge difference in the environment between the two sports. I’m used to a lot of yelling and energy from football, and so the first few soccer practices I was pretty surprised with how laid back it was,” Dutta said.

   Although she’s participating in soccer once again, she still goes to off-season football

practices during the soccer season. 

   “I’m still actually going to football practice during the soccer season [on] Monday mornings and Saturdays so that I am not behind when I go back to football starting in June,” Dutta said.

   She hopes the continuation of her soccer career will allow her to experience a season filled with fun and leave the sport on her own terms.

   “I just want to have fun and be with my friends. I really like soccer so I want to leave playing soccer on a good note and not like in eighth grade when I was injured,” Dutta said.