In the Dominican Republic, she’s playing with a team of current and future college stars, including her UCLA teammate Ally Lemos, and she feels like this group has also bonded well through the special experience of getting to play for your country.
“Every time I’m called into a camp, especially these trips where you make a tournament roster, I’m proud of myself, but it’s even more awesome to wear the crest and play with such a great group of girls. Everyone is so positive and supportive, and the coaches really care about us as people and helping us grow as players,” she said. “The pre-camp was hard, it was hot in Florida, but it prepared us for this tournament and I’m just excited help our team however I can.”
The daughter of an Argentinean mother, Cook is a rare U.S. Women’s National Team player who speaks fluent Spanish – she’s formulating her plans to major in International Development Studies and minor in Spanish at UCLA – and one day would love to play professionally overseas, perhaps in Spain. For now, her goals are much shorter term: enjoy the soccer experiences she is afforded and the friendships she has forged with her teammates.
“I do want to play pro, and I think everyone’s dream is to play for the full National Team, but I’m still young and now I’m focusing on this qualifying tournament and trying to make it to the World Cup and then my college season,” said Cook.
But even though she’s dedicated to looking through the windshield and not at the rearview mirror when it comes to her soccer career, she sometimes takes a moment to think back to that late summer day at the Rose Bowl in 2019, even if she might need to watch some video to help her remember it all.
