Chinese soccer girl a star on field and in classroom

It is no easy task for a young soccer player to reap laurels in both classroom and on the field, but Zhao Yujie, a member of China women’s national under-19 football team (U19), has achieved both.

She was admitted to the Florida State University (FSU) in the United States with full scholarship and just set off for her new journey on Jan 2.

As a member of China U19 and Shanghai U18 team, the 1999-born soccer player won the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and the U18 section of the 2017 National Games in Tianjin with her teammates. She and her teammates in China U19 team also qualified for the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup last October.

Her chance to study abroad was never accomplished in one action. Zhao has always been one of the best English speakers of Chinese national soccer team. Thus Gao Hong, her coach in U17 team, suggested her to apply for a university in the US, and get a chance to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

“I would always like to learn from the US team,” said Zhao. “It is also an opportunity to practice surviving in a total different environment,” she added. “Most importantly, I can make more friends and enrich my life experience there.”

The American College Testing (ACT) was the toughest part for Zhao’s application. She had to study online for two hours after the intense soccer training during the daytime. Her injury before the National Games made the application path even bumpier, but she did it.