Jocelyn Rachel Cruz

The daughter of a single Salvardorean mom, JoJo, 17, says she appreciates all the work her mother has done for her family, including putting her two older sisters through college (both sisters are still in school).

What do you enjoy most about playing soccer?
The feeling it gives me. I feel happy. I’m interacting with others and having fun. It brings out my fun side in a way. Most people see me very serious and when I’m playing soccer they see how fun and energetic I can be.

Besides soccer, what is something you are interested in?
Besides soccer, another thing that I’m interested is softball. I’ve been playing since 9th grade. I’ve grown so much. I went from 9th grade being a bench player to 10th grade being a co-captain. I’ve worked as hard as I have for soccer. You can see the growth from the years I’ve played.

What are you most looking forward to about participating in the 2018 Street Child World Cup in Russia?
What I’m looking forward to the most is meeting and seeing people from different places. Seeing people from different countries and seeing their style of play. It will be fun to learn a few tricks from others.