Julie Doyle’s first experience playing soccer at the age of six didn’t exactly go as she had hoped. But scoring her first goal was just what she needed to fall in love with the game.
“I didn’t like [soccer] at first,” says Doyle. “I remember one game, someone knocked me over and I started crying. I wanted to quit soccer. But [in] one of my last games of the season, I scored my first goal, and I ended up loving it from there.”
The junior forward and three-year varsity player for JSerra Catholic High School has continued her goal-scoring touch for the Lions.
“I like to score goals,” says Doyle. “It’s a lot of pressure sometimes, but (I enjoy) getting the job done for JSerra.”
She helps gets the job done often and is a valuable piece of JSerra’s girls soccer program.
“Julie is the type of player who leads with her style on the field,” says JSerra girls soccer head coach, Greg Baker. “She is very technical and fast, and she knows how to attack the goal. She is the girl that every team fears, and they put their best defender on her.”
Despite her knack for getting the ball in the net, Doyle acknowledges that soccer is more to her than just a game. The 17-year-old has come to rely on the growth she’s experienced from each coach and teammate she’s met along the way.
“It’s about the people you are playing with and the relationships that you make,” says Doyle. “I’ve had a number of coaches, and each coach has taught me different things about the game. They’ve helped me become a better player.”
Her skill set has led to invitations to participate in the US Soccer Olympic Development Program, where Doyle has played with the U-15, U-18 and U-20 Women’s National Teams, including traveling with the U-18 National Team to Mexico City and the U-20 National Team to Spain for international competition. The exposure, as well as the growth Doyle has seen in her game, has been invaluable.
“It was a great experience,” says the Laguna Niguel resident of representing her country. “It really taught me how to train myself and take care of my body… how to mentally and physically get through the training camp.”
While just a junior, Doyle has already verbally committed to play soccer for Santa Clara University. She considers her older sister, Janelle, who played college soccer for University of California, Irvine, among those who continually inspire and direct her path. Her faith reminds her to not give up and to keep working to reach her goals.
“Success isn’t just a straight line,” says Doyle. “It’s curves and ups and downs. You have to have faith in yourself and faith in what you’re doing.”