Adriana Cavazos has spent most of her life at Palo Duro. A 2004 graduate, she joined the staff not long after college and had been the head girls soccer coach since 2010. This summer, however, Cavazos decided she’s ready for a new challenge.
Cavazos, who played soccer at West Texas A&M, is heading back to Canyon, this time as the head coach of the Canyon girls soccer team.
It wasn’t an easy decision. She always says that she “bleeds blue” and leaving the only school she’s known in her professional career wasn’t a decision she made lightly. It’s the one she felt was best for her and her family, though.
“When I started at PD I thought I would retire there,” Cavazos said. “I never thought I’d go anywhere else. I got to know the community, the neighborhood and made friends with many people whom I loved. But I’ve been there too long and it was just time to change. It was time for me to go and get out of my comfort zone.”
Cavazos said she, her husband Sergio Castillo and their 2-year-old son were initially looking to move to the DFW Metroplex area. Castillo is a kicker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League so he is out of the country during the summer. The rest of the year, Cavazos is coaching and said she felt the Metroplex was the place to be for soccer.
They learned after a quick visit to DFW how expensive the housing market is and how rough the traffic can be. They started wondering if the Metroplex was the right move for them. Then, a new chance appeared for Cavazos to push herself out of her comfort zone.
“The Canyon opportunity came up and then poof,” Cavazos said. “We don’t have to buy a house, we don’t have to be away from family or anything so it all worked out. I know the Canyon community, I’ve been to some of their events and their environment is amazing.”
Cavazos said the environment was perhaps the biggest selling point for her. The Lady Eagle soccer team went 10-8-1 last season and brings back many key contributors from that playoff team, including star Gracie Van Winkle. Beyond the girls soccer team, Canyon has long fostered an environment for athletic success.
“That championship mentality was wonderful,” Cavazos said. “They’re fantastic at track, volleyball, basketball and all of that. It comes down to sometimes you have to make a change in your career that allows you to grow as a coach, a leader and as a person.”
Cavazos says she is looking forward to adding her fingerprints to Canyon’s blueprint for success. The Lady Eagle soccer program has gone through two head coaches in the past four years and Cavazos said she’s excited to add some stability for the players. Excitement was a word that came up frequently for her.
She still bleeds blue, and she’s confident the Palo Duro girls are in good hands with new head coach Shaun Massie.
“I’m so excited for them to have a successful season and I wish them nothing but the best,” Cavazos said. “I think they have the potential to have one of the best seasons PD has ever had.”
While she’ll always have that connection to her alma mater, she’s all in on her new job with the Canyon Lady Eagles.
“I’m really excited to be a Canyon Eagle,” Cavazos said. “I’m excited to be a part of that championship mentality. I’m planning to pour in my heart and give it my all and do the best I can do to develop a great soccer program and great kids as well.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Adriana Cavazos ready for a new challenge with the Canyon girls soccer team