A tense and exciting matchup between Florida State and Brigham Young University took place on Dec. 7 in the Beijing Hour, the NCAA Women's Soccer Final Four for the 2021 season. After 120 minutes of intense play, the score stayed at 0-0 and the game went to penalty kicks. After four rounds of play, with both teams scoring three penalty kicks, Brigham Young University missed at the crucial moment and our player, Yujie Zhao, struck to help Florida State win the championship. The talented young woman, who made our women's soccer roster at the age of 16, is steadily moving towards her dream.
Looking back to 1999, China's women's soccer team won the second place in the Women's World Cup in the United States and wrote a glorious history. That year, in Shanghai, the hometown of Sun Wen, the leader of China's women's soccer team, Zhao Yujie, a soccer girl, was born. Raised in an intellectual family, her father wanted her daughter to study hard, but Zhao Yujie had a love affair with soccer. From kindergarten, Qian Hui, known as the "godmother of women's soccer in Shanghai," was instantly attracted to her, and after entering Jinshajiang Road Primary School, she was introduced to soccer. Although her parents were hesitant, they eventually supported her to continue playing soccer, a decision that made Zhao Yujie a rising star in China's women's soccer team.
As her talent for soccer became apparent, Zhao Yujie quickly grew into the core of the Shanghai Youth Women's Football Team. From U13 to U15, she has been the captain of the national team. 2016, under the age of 17, Zhao Yujie was selected into the training list of China's adult women's soccer team and became an international player.
It is worth mentioning that Zhao Yujie has not neglected her studies while playing soccer. In the middle school examination, she broke through the high school score line with the score of "naked examination".In 2018, after graduating from high school, she aimed at well-known domestic colleges and universities, such as the North Normal University, the North University of Physical Education and the Shanghai Institute of Physical Education and Sports. On the advice of Gao Hong, her head coach during the National Junior League and former goalkeeper of China's women's soccer team, Zhao Yujie decided to try applying to a U.S. university. Playing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) can improve her soccer level as well as her academic achievements.
Image from the official Florida State University website
After listening to Gao Hong's advice, Zhao Yujie began to work toward staying in the United States. She wrote application letters to four American universities, among which Florida State University showed great interest in her. The school's women's soccer coach Mark had coached the golden generation of China's women's soccer team, Liu Ailing and Zhao Lihong, and was very optimistic about Zhao Yujie's skills and English level. When introducing Zhao Yujie, Gao Hong praised her playing style as similar to that of Sun Wen in her youth, good at playing with her brain.
After arriving at Florida State, Yujie Zhao earned a full scholarship for her outstanding performance and quickly integrated into campus life.During the 2018 season, she helped Florida State win the NCAA Championship and became the Rookie of the Year that season. This season, Yujie Zhao once again helped Florida State win the title, contributing five goals and nine assists individually and winning the league's best offensive player award.
Zhao Yujie, 22 years old this year, has a future full of unlimited possibilities. Her path of growth is an excellent example of the development of young athletes in China. While focusing on soccer training at home and abroad, it is important to build a good foundation in cultural knowledge and foreign languages in order to have the opportunity to stay in a university in a developed country that has a high level of women's soccer, and to study and play at the same time. Such a choice, I believe that for many young players, is a kind of "fish and bear paw" opportunity.
