With a medal around her neck and a trophy on the table in front of her, being part of Maya High School's championship soccer team "means everything to me," Jasmine Dawood told ABC15.
The team won the Division II title at the Canyon Athletic Association tournament on Saturday. While the team of 20 was celebrating the win, Dawood was thinking of something her mother said.
“She just told me that it was a big blessing and I did it for my dad."
In March, Dawood's father, Salman Hasoon, was killed in a crash near I-17 and Grant. She took the week off from school and considered dropping off the team.
“I didn’t want to do nothing, I didn’t want to get out of my bed, I didn’t want to talk to nobody.”
Dawood's mother urged her to go back and play her father's favorite sport in honor of him -- so she did.
“When I went back on the team I knew that, like, I can’t give up so I just encouraged myself to keep going and try harder than before.”
Her attitude on and off the field impressed her coach and teammates.
“Seeing her go out there not scared and just show such courage was inspiring to me,” Nicole Acosta told ABC15, adding how the players rallied around her.
“They literally made me very proud because I know a lot of times when things like that happen people don’t know exactly how to act and as young individuals, they amazed me — made me very proud.”
Dawood says she plans to play soccer again for Maya next year and is hoping to earn a scholarship to college.
