Sydney Schmidt: A soccer star in the making [Video]

The dream of playing soccer began way before Schmidt could even create explicit memories as a child. And if she remembers those memories, most of them involve her dad pushing her around in a stroller at various soccer events.

“Getting in it so early, he would always go out and train with me whenever I want. He’s not one of those dads that’s like ‘Okay, this is what you need to do better. Blah, blah, blah. You have to go out and train.’ Like, he’s really let me pick and choose what I want to do, which I feel like has made my love for the game grow even more because it’s coming from me, not him,” Schmidt said.

Having been immersed in the game from such a young age, dealing with high expectations has always been …