Senior Athlete Spotlight: Valentina Fonteles Camps

Despite signing up for Girls Lacrosse every year, Valentina Fonteles Camps did not actually join the team until her junior year. “I always imagined myself sitting alone on a team while all the girls who had dedicated their lives to the sport interacted,” Fonteles Camps describes of why she never followed through after signing up. As a junior, Fonteles Camps ultimately decided to not let a fear of rejection or failure stop her from trying something new. Throughout the entire fall and winter, you would find her out on the fields training to ensure she would be ready. “I trained and practiced whenever I could and taught myself the game so when the time came, I would be as ready as I could ever be,” Fonteles Camps reflects.

           
It turns out, Fonteles was right to face her fears because she realized how wrong she was in being fearful of being outcasted. “Everyone welcomed me with open arms and took me under their wings.” In addition, Fonteles Camps thrived as an upperclassman on a team filled with not only many underclassmen, but middle schoolers as well. In Fonteles Camps, they saw someone that they trusted and looked up to. Whether it be giving advice, a hug, or a ride, Fonteles Camps has become a big sister to the majority of the young team and is happy to help them in any way, whether it be school, athletics, or life, thus earning her the nickname Mama Camps. “This is my favorite subject to talk about because all my girls are my little sisters,” Fonteles Camps says excitedly, “I love them and I care for them with all my heart!” Varsity Head Coach Jose Herrera believes that her dedication to the game and the team, as well as her natural ability as a mentor, makes her an invaluable asset. Herrera describes her as someone who “embodies the true spirit of leadership, seamlessly blending her defensive prowess on the field with a nurturing presence that guides and inspires her teammates.”

           
Lacrosse is just one of the many extracurricular activities that Fonteles Camps is a part of. She is extremely talented within the orchestra program, is a certified GenCLEO chapter speaker who travels to many local schools to educate younger students on climate change, and participates in beach cleanups around Miami. When she is not busy with extracurriculars, you will often find her working out at Soul Cycle.

           
Fonteles Camps’s favorite food is peanut butter toast, favorite movie is Kingsman, and lists her favorite bands and artists as Harry Styles, Blink-182, and Wallows. She is excited to attend TCU in the fall with a major in interior design and architectural lighting design with a minor in fine arts.

           
Be sure to come out and support Valentina and the rest of the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team in the lead up to the District Tournament! The senior class will be celebrated on April 4^th for Senior Day.

 

Go Falcons!