Bethany’s Jozzy Hernandez
Bethany High School sophomore forward and midfielder Jozzy Hernandez has quickly become one of the faces of a rising varsity girls soccer program.
Hernandez splits time between the forward line and midfield, roles she said demand full concentration from whistle to whistle. “I play forward/midfield,” Hernandez said. “I would say the hardest part of playing these positions is being consistent and always having pressure in all areas.” She added that staying locked in mentally is just as important as her physical skills on the ball.
She describes her biggest strength as her soccer IQ and her ability to connect play. “The strength in my game is my soccer IQ and being able to hold the ball up and distribute the ball well,” Hernandez said. “Something that I’m trying to improve on is my consistency in scoring and assisting.”
Hernandez said the bonds inside the locker room helped Bethany push through the toughest stretches of the season. “One of my favorite things about my team and teammates is how close we got and bonded in such a small span of time,” she said. “Also how hard we worked together during season to end the season off with such a good note.” She credits vocal teammate Camryn Regier for setting the tone and a close-knit group of friends — Jaylie, Blaine, Hattie, Layla and Shelby — for keeping the team loose and laughing.
Family, Hernandez said, is at the center of everything she does. “Who inspires me is my family,” she said. “My family is what keeps me going I try my best every time I’m on the field because without them and all the time and effort they put into making my dreams come true I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Her freshman year already includes memories she said she will never forget. “My favorite moment from freshman year was scoring the game winning goal in overtime to win District Champions and all my teammates coming up to hug me after the whistle was blown,” Hernandez said. “Also winning a State Championship for the first time in school history!”
Off the field, Hernandez gravitates toward the classroom and campus activities that match her creative and spiritual side. Her favorite subject is art, and she points to freshman honors biology teacher Mrs. Regier as her favorite teacher at Bethany. She is active in FCA, a Christian athletes club at the school led by coach Peezy. “It’s the best thing ever,” she said. “There is a special guest every night and they all talk a little bit about how God has moved in their life and how he can move in ours too while continuing to be [an] athlete.”
When she is not training or competing, Hernandez enjoys spending time with family and friends, supporting other sports on campus, taking pictures and doing anything that keeps her connected to soccer. The lessons she has learned from athletics, she said, go far beyond the scoreboard. “Something that athletics has taught me is that what you do when no one’s watching will always have a bigger impact later when everyone’s watching.”
