Meet Academica SC: Jocelyn Figueroa

Stan State will be adding a versatile player to their ranks this fall, with incoming freshman Jocelyn Figueroa looking to make an impact.

One of quite a few incoming Stan State freshmen who suited up for Academica this summer, Jocelyn Figueroa was one of Stan State’s later recruits as she was uncertain if she wanted to continue her soccer career. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to keep playing the game and will make her debut for the Warriors this season. 

Photo Courtesy of Academica SC

A Versatile Player

Figueroa is the type of player every coach loves to have, as she can essentially play wherever they need her on the field. She originally started as a forward and outside back in club before moving to center back at Gregori High School and now Stan State’s head coach Gabe Bolton envisions her as a midfielder. 

Bolton had high praise for Figueroa stating: “She’s somebody that we recruited a little later in the process, we came across her during the high school season. She played center back but we see her playing midfield for us. She’s a clean, technical player, great on the ball, has fantastic vision of the field, and passer on the ball as well as a strong defender. Complete player with a lot of tools. We’re really lucky to have come across her.”

When she looks back on playing a variety of positions, Figueroa noted how each one helped her develop specific skills that benefit her regardless of where she is on the field. When she discussed her initial move to outside back from forward, she said: “I think transitioning to an outside back helped me know how to attack and defend at the same time.”

Her second move from outside back to center back had a much different benefit for her, “I think that gave me some experience of knowing how to be like a leader on the field. You see everything like the goalie and you have to know when to tell your outside backs to drop back with you. You have to keep everyone in check. So I think that helps me with being a leader and being stronger as a player because as a center back you're going up against tall center forwards. Compared to me, they're pretty big, so I think that helps me build my strength and hold my ground.”

A Rocky Road to Stan State

Figueroa’s high school career didn’t make things easy for her. Her freshman year was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the few games they did play, they had to play in masks which certainly made the games much more difficult. On top of that, they had to have a different coach her freshman year as the normal head coach also coached tennis and was unable to coach both teams due to the COVID restrictions. However, in her sophomore year, things would get back to normal for Gregori.

Figueroa credits her high school coach, Tracy Moore, for being the main reason she stuck with soccer and pursued playing the game at the collegiate level. “During my junior year, I had a really hard time mentally playing soccer. I didn’t know if I wanted to play anymore, and she really helped me push myself and I was unsure about playing in college during my senior year. She actually got into contact with Gabe, and she was the one who brought him out to come and watch some of our high school games. It's because of her that I'm able to play college soccer and continue my soccer career. So I think I have to thank her a lot for everything and for just pushing me to be the best player I can be.”

People often forget the mental toll that sports can take on athletes, as they’re the ones who hold themselves to the highest standard. When things aren’t going perfectly, it’s easy to get in your own head and that’s ultimately what led Figueroa to nearly leaving the game she loves. She feels like she’s getting better at controlling that aspect of herself now though, stating: “Mentally I felt like I was just pushing myself too hard. I feel like I'm my biggest critic. It just gets to the point where if I'm not doing good, I just can't push myself anymore and I just need to take a break. I think now I'm learning how to push myself to play or critique myself to a limit where I don't burn myself out and I think I'm doing better at that.”

In her senior year, Figueroa was able to lead her team to the playoffs for the first time during her four years at Gregori. “We were worried and nervous, but we ended up tying the game at the last minute, it was 2-2 I think and we ended up going to penalty kicks. I just remember our goalie making the last save and we all just ran up to her and it was just a really good moment all around.”

Time at Academica

Figueroa wasn’t able to play as much as she would’ve liked for Academica, as she was busy most of the summer. She appeared in three games for Academica, starting two of them, and played a total of 220 minutes. It gave her valuable playing time with high-end players and some of her future teammates at Stan State. One player she gave a shout-out to specifically was Emma Brown, saying playing alongside the Cal Poly senior helped her correct some mistakes and build confidence. 

Off the Field

While she attends Stan State, Figueroa is going to take an unconventional route as an athlete and is majoring in mathematics. 

Academics are very important to Figueroa as well, saying: “It's very important for me, I like to push myself academically and both athletically. But I've always been the type of student who wants to get an A+ or a 4.0. I think being able to be so busy helps me push myself even more to stay on top of my schoolwork. And I even plan on taking some other classes in college too because I just like to challenge myself a lot. And I feel like with the challenge I work better.”

After she finishes her degree, Figueroa plans on becoming a math teacher and potentially coaching soccer as well. There’s certainly a lot of time left before she reaches that point though, as her time at Stan State has yet to officially begin. For now, she has a big opportunity to make an impact in their program and be a key part of their next core of players.