By Allison Green Posted March 28, 2025
Being an athlete and a student comes with its hardships, but it also has a very rewarding feeling of accomplishment. Student-athlete Damiena Mentaberry has shown how this is possible throughout her years of high school. According to her coach Chris Entwistle, it has never been a dull moment with Damiena.
“Having coached Damiena for the last two seasons, I’ve gotten to know her pretty well! She is a “character” and a real joy to coach,” said Entwistle. “She knows how and when to have fun, but she takes soccer very seriously and holds herself to a very high standard!”
By holding herself to a higher expectation, Mentaberry demonstrates to her coaches and teammates that she’s determined to succeed. When it comes to being serious and having fun, Mentaberry is a perfect example of how you can do both.
“Dam is a great teammate, a great soccer player, and has a bright future in whatever she decides to do,” said Entwistle. “Some of my best memories of Dam involve conversations that weren’t necessarily meant for my ears, the torment the “triplets” (Damiena, Kepa, & Britain) gave to each other, and the half-joking complaints about conditioning! Damiena’s personality, character, and skill will be sorely missed next season!”
Playing the sport that you enjoy the most has to be one of the most memorable moments for a senior who has not only looked up to past players but also been a role model for new athletes. Mentaberry has always looked for a way to succeed in soccer and pushed herself to become better.
“Soccer has always been my sport, and I’ve had such a passion for it for as long as I could remember,” said Mentaberry. “I have played for over 10 years and always created some of my most memorable and best experiences through this sport. Not only has it been a safe place for me, but it has pushed me to be better in what I do and to be physically and mentally confident. I have created many friendships through it and have gotten so many opportunities.”
To be able to play a sport in high school that you’ve been playing since you were young has to be one of the most fulfilling feelings an athlete can experience. Mentaberry and her teammates have experienced many great opportunities during her four years of being on the soccer team.
“I had the privilege of an amazing team that all worked together to get us to playoffs the past two years, the first year we made it as the third seed only making it to the first round of playoffs so of course this past year we upped our game a bit and earned our way up to the second seed as well making it to the second round of playoffs and barely falling short of that win.”
With many memories made over the years, Mentaberry had grown close with her teammates as well as learning how one another played, only making each other stronger as a team.
“I think my best experience from this season was our second game against Fallon at our home field, we had lost the first time we played them, and they continued to go undefeated as the number one seed until that day,” said Mentaberry. “Everyone on the team was very hyped up and having the best time during warmups, boosting our confidence and teamwork to push us to beat Fallon to steal the number two seed from Elko and end Fallon’s undefeated streak.”
Mentaberry continued to work hard every day at practices and take away the important lessons from games, no matter how good or bad, it still made her a stronger athlete. She even participated in track and field. Being a multi-sport athlete takes dedication and discipline, which Mentaberry has accomplished.
