Dana Castellanos usually heads toward the goal with a focused gaze, but when she scores a goal, a big smile spreads across her face. Her smiling face is well-known in her home country of Venezuela, where many people call her the “queen” of soccer.
Castellanos, 25, made headlines earlier this year when she signed a four-year contract worth $1.8 million with Bay FC, a women’s professional soccer team based in San Francisco, making her the highest-paid foreign player in U.S. women’s soccer. It became. league.
Prior to that, Castellanos played for Atlético Madrid, Manchester City and the Venezuelan national team and holds several records, including top scorer at the U-17 Women’s World Cup as well as the South American U-17 Championship. .
“My biggest dream is to participate in the World Cup with the Venezuelan women’s team,” the athlete said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. “We are growing, maturing and evolving in many ways. Our goals may change, but our dreams remain the same.”
Castellanos links his rise in the competitive world of soccer to important events in his life. After impressing in international championships as a young athlete despite the limitations of Venezuela’s sports system, Castellanos earned a scholarship to study at Florida State University at the age of 16. In college, he scored 47 goals in 77 games, setting a new record.
“Being a student-athlete in the U.S. changed my life,” she said, adding that coming to the U.S. on that scholarship was “one of the best decisions I ever made.” It was,” he added.
Castellanos says her college experience in Florida, where she studied journalism, helped her learn the principles and discipline of the sport.
But as a native of Venezuela, her experience wasn’t typical. “When I was little, there was no help in applying for academic or athletic scholarships in the United States. I don’t think there was any organization, especially for female soccer players. It was virtually impossible,” she said. Ta.
Inspired by her academic and athletic career in the United States, Castellanos and her team founded the Queen Dana Program: The Legacy, a foundation that aims to empower girls and young women through sports and education.
“Obviously, we’re focused on helping the girls in Venezuela, but we also have European, African, and Latinx players. … It’s actually a huge source of pride for me,” she said of this. He spoke while delving into the goals of the project.
The program started as an idea in 2020, but it wasn’t until early 2022 that it began the athlete recruitment process with the help of Nike and other sponsors.
“We’ve already sent 50 girls to the United States, and it’s crazy that they’re not just from Venezuela, but from all over the world,” she said with a laugh.
Castellano’s goal is to expand the foundation’s reach and help more young people. “We have to keep looking for funding to change our goal of sending 15 to 20 players to the United States every year, maybe even 20 to 40. We want to change things. “There is,” she said.
From “the impossible” to a college career
According to NCAA statistics, nearly 25,000 international students and athletes compete in a variety of sports in the United States. Approximately 900 universities offer scholarships of $10,000 or more annually.
Venezuelan soccer player Mariayela Jimenez, who is part of the Queen Dana program, is one such athlete. “When I was a kid, I always wanted to go to America and play in college, but I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t think it was possible until Dana helped me a lot.” said the 20-year-old soccer player. She is currently following in Castellanos’ footsteps and playing and studying at Florida State University.
Jimenez joined the Florida State team this year, but previously attended William Carey University, where he played in 66 games and scored 46 goals. This year, she represented Venezuela in the U-20 Women’s World Cup, making her debut in the senior division.
The athletic environment and academic demands gave Jimenez a new perspective on the challenges of being an athlete.
“The most important thing is discipline. … Here you have to study to play, so you have to keep training and studying,” Jimenez said.
“I think people are paying a little more attention to women’s soccer now. It feels like it’s already part of everything,” she said excitedly.
Equal pay, safe spaces, and Venezuela
Castellanos’ contracted salary made headlines, but salaries in men’s soccer are much higher. When asked if she thought there would ever be near pay parity in sports, she said women’s football has evolved a lot and will continue to grow, with salaries getting better every year. “We don’t know if there will ever be such parity in pay. Let’s hope so. But we also know that the numbers used for certain footballers are ridiculous,” she said. spoke. “At the end of the day, this is a sport that we also give ourselves to. It’s our life and we live off of it.”
Castellanos was asked if she felt like women’s soccer was a safe space as a member of the LGBTQ community. Her answer was “yes”. “Whether you’re straight, bisexual or gay, we’ve always felt at home and never felt judged, and I think women’s soccer represents that very well.”
Castellanos reflected on what it was like to train in Venezuela during the country’s political, economic and social crisis.
“It’s difficult because in Venezuela we don’t have a formal, competitive professional league, where you can say you want to retire in Venezuela and that’s it,” she said. Unlike other South American countries, where professional soccer has a strong foundation, she said that is reflected in the uncertain situation for the national team.
“That’s why this project of the Queen Dana Program allows Venezuelan athletes to see something different, open their minds, learn another language, get noticed and have something professional that Venezuela doesn’t offer. I think the focus is on helping people have the opportunity to choose,’” she said. “I think that’s one of the most special things about this foundation.”
Castellanos said the current situation in Venezuela affects everyone. She said her entire family is still there.
“Next year is the Copa America, but everything is uncertain. The coach is undecided. We don’t know how many training camps will be held before this tournament, but we will qualify for the 2027 World Cup and Olympics. , this tournament is very important for us,” Castellanos said. “The situation in this country is always difficult for all of us Venezuelans, because we all love our country, regardless of our position.”
An earlier version of this article first appeared on Noticias Telemundo.
