Wichita West’s Valentino Nava: Multisports’ Athlete of the Month

By Hayden Swope

Valentino Nava, a soccer player from Wichita West, knows a little bit about leadership on and off the field. West’s head coach Tierra Knox knows Nava is always one the team can count on.

“Valentino is a talented player who contributed a great deal to the outcome of our season,” Knox said. “He is a senior who started and played on the right wing for us and led the team in goals and assists. Valentino displayed a great deal of leadership on and off the field and also excels academically. As a captain, he led by example and had the respect and support of his teammates. His character and love for the game would rub off on others and through a domino effect, creating an exciting and fun soccer environment.”

Nava trained with coaches and teammates during the break to prepare for the upcoming season.

“I prepared for the season by going to the gym and working on my explosiveness,” Nava said. “Going out every morning on runs and just practicing my shot to be a consistent athlete. A lot of weaknesses was for sure my knee problems but that didn’t stop me from giving it my all throughout the season and was definitely a challenge.”

With a state run sitting in the back of the Pioneer’s mind, Nava has set goals for not only himself, but the team as well.

“What I am most focused on this season is to give it my all for my team and work together to get good results for the postseason,” Nava said. “I want to improve my stamina and my in- game IQ.”

Nava has aspirations to take his soccer career to a higher level after high school, as well as his education. “My goals are to definitely take my career to the collegiate level and have a degree of accounting,” Nava said.