The Chula Vista High girls soccer team doesn't always scream out championship team.
The Spartans are not always considered a powerhouse. Sometimes they are not even mentioned among contenders in San Diego County or their own league.
They don't always carry players from elite club teams. Most of the girls have never played on a club. That's because most can't afford to pay the fees.
But that doesn't mean Chula Vista doesn't carry talented players. Some go unnoticed, undiscovered by possible club and university scouts.
Coach Carolina Soto is hoping that doesn't happen this season. There is enough talent to command attention.
Adrienne Bidwell stands out.
The Spartans' starting goalkeeper has opened eyes this season.
She is considered one of the South Bay's most talented goalkeepers by Soto. And the coach is praising Bidwell not just because she's on her team roster.
"She is one of those gems you get from time to time," Soto said. "She's one of my favorite players I've coached because she works hard at all she does. She is a good athlete and a good goalkeeper. And the thing is that she can be better but she doesn't know it yet."
Soto said coaches from rival teams have approached her after each game this season to praise Bidwell.
"'Hey, your goalie is really good, what club does she play for?'" Soto said she is asked. "That's what coaches have begun to ask. I tell them, 'this is her club.'"
And it's also her team.
Bidwell, 17, is a team captain and teammates see her as an inspiring leader.
Just ask longtime friend Yolanda Sandoval.
"She keeps people on their toes," said Sandoval, a senior defender for the Spartans. "She tells us to keep our heads up when we're down. She's vocal. She cracks jokes at the right moment. She is just a true friend and inspiration."
Sandoval is thankful for her friendship. They met in middle school. They've played together on the varsity squad for three years, but Sandoval is mostly grateful for her friend's encouragement during tough times.
Sandoval, 17, said Bidwell showed plenty of support after Sandoval was injured in a car crash last February.
Bidwell and teammates visited Sandoval at the hospital as she recovered from lacerations to her intestines from seatbelt pressure during the crash.
But it was Bidwell who helped push Sandoval into soccer shape when she was ready to get back on the field.
"She was there pushing me to run with her," Sandoval said. "Adrienne never gave up on me. If I lagged behind, she would stay back with me. She never left me."
That's the type of person Bidwell strives to be.
And she has plenty of inspiration to do so.
Bidwell, a senior, credits her father, David, for the encouragement.
Her dad died when she was eight.
"I wanted to be the best at everything," Bidwell said. "I didn't want to be a teen who didn't do anything. If my dad was here, I would want him to be proud of me."
Her mother, Georgina, and older brother, Andrew, certainly are. Bidwell, also a four-year letterman in Track in Field and Cross Country does enough to keep herself busy.
She is awake by 4 a.m. She needs enough time to get ready and ride to school from Jamul to Chula Vista, where her mother works as a secretary. Her first class begins at 6:30 a.m. Her last class is at 3:30 p.m., just in time to make it to a 120-minute practice right after.
Then it's time to hit the books. There is plenty of homework when you have four Advanced Placement classes. Those are the ones that count for college credit.
Bidwell, who carries a 3.8 GPA, has applied to several schools in the University of California system. She is confident she will be accepted. She works hard enough to feel she has done enough.
If it's San Diego, Santa Barbara or Irvine where she is accepted, Bidwell plans to study criminal justice and try out for the school's soccer team. It could be a tough task. She has not been exposed to scouts. They are not piling up on the sidelines at Spartans' games.
Bidwell didn't begin playing soccer until at about age nine. Her mother wanted her to be a dancer. Bidwell does perform for the school's dance team but soccer is her love. It's all a matter of displaying her soccer skills to the right people.
"That's something I am working on helping her with," said her soccer coach. "I'll have a highlight video of her. I had one club coach ask about having her play with the club. Not sure if that will happen but we'll find a way to expose her."
One way is during this high school season. Mesa League play began last week.
College scouts normally don't come out to see South Bay teams. But to the Spartans' luck, Hilltop, one of the county's highly regarded teams, play in the same league.
Perhaps that is an opportunity for Bidwell.
She has kept Chula Vista from being blown out in plenty of matches this year. Some of her best games came against teams outside the league during early season tournaments.
Bidwell's main goal is to help her team win.
It doesn't matter if the team is not a powerhouse or if it doesn't always produce blue chip players. The Spartans have their own leader.
Ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com
