How Roberson girls soccer's Elena Loli stays patient waiting to join Peru under-18 team
When Roberson girls soccer midfielder Elena Loli is on the field, she leaves behind most of the things that trouble high school upperclassmen — homework, grades, college applications.
There’s one thing she can’t quite fully keep off her mind when she’s on the pitch. The junior is waiting for a call, telling her to head to Atlanta to pick up her visa so she can become a Peruvian citizen and join the Peru under-18 national team.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Loli said. “Shocked, surprised — I’ve known I’ve always been half-Peruvian, but I never thought I could get this far. It took a lot of training and a lot of effort.”
Loli could get her visa tomorrow — or it could take six months. It’s all up in the air and has been since early March. As soon as she gets her visa, she’ll head to Peru.
Jimena Rojas, Loli’s club soccer coach who now coaches the U-15 and U-17 Mexican national teams, contacted the Peruvian coach about Loli, who put together a highlight video and sent it off. The coach told her they liked her, and to go to Peru to try out for the team.
Loli is patient, focusing on helping the Rams each time she takes to the field. She has three goals and three assists in 11 games this year, following up on a 12-goal, 12-assist season as a sophomore. But still, she lets her mind wander.
“You’re always wondering, like, are they going to message me today?” she said. “It’s always in the back of your mind. You’re just waiting.”
When Loli told Roberson coach Leslie Sloan that she’d received this opportunity and may have to miss part of the season, Sloan’s reaction was immediate: She told Loli she had to do it.
“Anytime our players have an opportunity to do something great, we want them to go do that,” Sloan said. “We cheer all of them on to get to go do exciting, fun things. We’re in public schools. We’re excited for everybody.”
Loli is using Roberson practices to prepare for Mountain Athletic Conference rivals as much as she's preparing to play against Argentina. Games against teams like Erwin, which Roberson beat 9-0 on April 10, provide Loli time to work on her touch and her passes.
“I grew up internationally, and when you have a mindset that is bigger than what we’re doing here, then you know things other people don’t know,” Sloan said. “You’re able to bring that back to the team.”
Loli hopes playing internationally will expand her game, adding what Sloan calls international flair and “cheekiness” to her play. Loli believes she can bring that back to Asheville and put her in position to play in college. She wants a school that is as strong in academics as in soccer and hopes to become a criminal lawyer.
For now, she’s a stalwart in the midfield for the Rams, helping turn around a slow start into a 5-1 conference record.
“Soccer is a great game where however the midfield goes, that’s how your team is going to go,” Sloan said. “She’s a leader in the midfield. It’s nice to have her calming presence and it's nice to have her ball work.”
Loli hasn’t been to Peru since she was young. Her lasting memory of her visit is of lucuma ice cream, a staple in the country.
The travel will be tough — she’ll go from low altitudes to high altitudes across South America. But she’s more than ready to wear her country’s badge.
“It would be a huge honor because I’m representing a big part of myself,” Loli said. “That’s a lot of pressure, but I’m up for it.”
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Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanGerike. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Roberson's Elena Loli staying patient waiting to join Peru soccer team
