{
  "id": 18096494,
  "title": "True Warrior | Fayetteville Christian goalie battles way to DI roster",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/true-warrior-fayetteville-christian-goalie-battles-way-to-di-roster",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-04T09:04:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/true-warrior-fayetteville-christian-goalie-090421472.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Natalia Lodeserto’s journey to becoming a college soccer player defies conventional wisdom. By the time she was a teenager, she had already dedicated nearly half her life to gymnastics, reaching Level 6 in the USA Gymnastics Development Program. Her rigorous training regimen involved 16 hours of practice each week, but her path to soccer began unexpectedly when she fractured her tibial plateau during a gymnastics session, followed by another fracture while executing a front handspring front tuck. Undeterred, Lodeserto joined the Fayetteville Christian varsity volleyball team, then cheerleading, before finally taking up soccer her eighth-grade year. Three years later, she has been offered a college scholarship to play for the Virginia Military Institute, becoming a Division I athlete—a rare achievement for someone with such a limited background in the sport. Fayetteville Christian coach Bobby Graham describes Lodeserto as \"a special athlete\" and highlights her courage and fearless attitude, noting that her gymnastics background prepared her well for the physical demands of goalkeeping. Despite her relatively short playing career, Lodeserto has excelled, leading the Sandhills Conference with a 1.681 goals-against average and ranking third in saves. Her commitment to the sport is evident in her rigorous training regimen, which includes personal training, holiday training, and even training sessions during holidays when her family couldn’t attend. This summer, Lodeserto joined the semi-professional UPSL’s Carolina Crew FC and the Wake FC Girls Academy, further showcasing her dedication and talent. With the support of her coach and a clear vision for the future, Lodeserto is poised to make a significant impact at Virginia Military Institute, where she will be joined by other talented teammates for the upcoming spring season.",
  "summary": "The journey of Fayetteville Christian’s Natalia Lodeserto to Division I college soccer has been shaped by challenges, and the way she responds.",
  "key_points": [
    "Natalia Lodeserto defied conventional wisdom to become a college soccer player.",
    "Fractured tibial plateau and front handspring front tuck led her to soccer.",
    "Lodeserto offered DI scholarship to Virginia Military Institute."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Lodeserto’s rapid ascent to the Division I level demonstrates how the physical discipline of gymnastics can translate into elite soccer performance despite a late start in the sport.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}