Spotlighting Our Youth – Claire Mortensen – Local junior high soccer player makes her parents proud both on the field and in the classroom

 One of the greatest blessings a parent can have is to see their child succeed. And thanks to their daughter, Claire, parents Daniel and Morgan Mortensen have received this gift more than they could ever hope for.
Claire was introduced to sports at an early age. At six years-old she began playing soccer, and before long, her talent and passion for the game was obvious. At age nine, after encouragement from her American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) coaches, Claire tried out for a soccer club team. After playing for a couple of different teams, she joined her current team, Valencia United, where she usually plays the left forward position.
Valencia United is currently in its spring league, where Claire and her teammates often play against teams a division above them.  So far, they have won two games and tied once. Claire made the winning goal in the first game, and the tying goal in the second. In the third game, she made a goal minutes after coming back into the game following an injury. Claire’s coach Danny Nguyen said “After a full year playing with Valencia United, Claire is currently our hottest player in the spring league with a goal scored in every game.”
On top of playing club soccer, Claire also plays on the Albert Einstein Academy’s school indoor soccer league, where her goal is to score three goals every game – the maximum allowed per player. She also leads on her team in assists. “Claire is a team leader on the field and is able to create opportunities for both herself and her teammates,” said Ken Erenbert, the soccer coach at Albert Einstein Academy, before bringing up Claire’s sense of humor, “It helps take away the situations where other teams may stress out. Claire is quick with something funny to lighten the mood.”
While Claire’s weeks are filled with soccer practices for both teams, as well as weekly conditioning and speed training, she still manages to fit in piano lessons, practicing five times every week. She also finds time to study hard, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. “Claire is a strong, conscientious student who isn’t afraid to ask questions to further her understanding,” said Emily Yacoobian, Claire’s algebra teacher. Because of her love for both art and mathematics, she hopes to eventually earn a soccer scholarship and pursue a career as an architect.
Back in March, Claire spent a weekend at a soccer team, featuring retired US Soccer Team members Mia Hamm, Kristine Lily and Tisha Venturini-Hoch. Claire loved learning from and interacting with the pros.
“I really try not to be nuts over her, but it’s so hard,” Claire’s father Daniel lovingly wrote of his daughter. As a parent, few things are sweeter than seeing your child succeed. And for the Mortensen’s, being proud of their daughter couldn’t be easier.