Amanda Carvalho signs letter with Cal Maritime
Benicia High player commits to Cal Maritime, where father is men’s coach
Benicia soccer star will eventually study, play with Keelhaulers, where her dad also coaches.
Michael Carvalho describes her daughter Amanda as someone who doesn’t have a big head and someone who wants to avoid the limelight. Not exactly something you would expect from someone voted Most Likely to be Famous by her fellow Benicia High School students.
Although she keeps quiet personally, her exploits on the soccer field have grabbed Cal Maritime’s attention.
Amanda Carvalho hopes to put the Cal Maritime women’s soccer team in the headlines, a process she started by recently committing to attending the university in Vallejo. The news was great not only for Amanda, but also for Michael — the head coach for the men’s team at the school.
“It’s a blessing to have her come to Cal Maritime,” said Michael Carvalho, who has coached his daughter since she was little. “I was pretty excited when she said she wanted to apply to Cal Maritime, but she was very modest
— she tends to play everything down. I had to do all the bragging myself!”
Amanda Carvalho said she told her family first that she was going to become a Keelhauler and then told a few friends, but not many.
“I guess I’ve just never been one that likes to brag or boast,” Amanda said. “I know a lot of people like to tell everyone and make a big deal out of it, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s just not me. I know a lot of people are having a tough time right now with the pandemic, so it just didn’t feel like the right thing to do, telling everyone about it and celebrating. Although my dad really wanted to.”
Carvalho mostly plays midfield with Benicia and the club team, Diablo Football League. However, it was practices with the women’s team at Cal Maritime that got the attention of Cal Maritime women’s head coach Emily Scheese. In the last few years, Michael Carvalho has been an assistant coach with the women’s team at Cal Maritime.
“We are very ecstatic to have Amanda Carvalho commit to our women’s soccer program here at Cal Maritime,” said Scheese in a Cal Maritime news release. “I have been able to watch Amanda play in various venues over the years, whether at big college showcase tournaments or at local Mare Island indoor games. I have watched her grow into a strong and powerful player and a great vocal leader on the field — qualities our squad will immediately benefit from.”
In return, Amanda Carvalho said she can’t wait to play for Scheese.
“I really like her coaching style,” Amanda said. “She’s really one with the players. The big thing is she helps me with things off the field, too. Throughout high school, I feel she has been someone I could always talk to. Plus I like her leadership skills.”
At first, Amanda Carvalho wasn’t sure if she wanted to play for Cal Maritime with her dad nearby as a coach. But as time went by, she grew attached to the women’s team and the school.
“I would always be there practicing with the team, but I wasn’t interested at all,” Amanda said. “But after a while, I would meet all the players and get to know the small community well. The students, talking and meeting with them, they really sold me on the team. I wish I could single one of them out that took me under their wing but truthfully it was every single one of them.”
Amanda plans to major in International Business and Logistics, but in the meantime, she’s helping out others with her academic skills.
“I had been a ref for youth soccer and I thought about getting a job with some fast food place, but that wasn’t really me,” the 18-year-old said. “I like working with kids so I put it out there that if anyone needed a tutor or someone to help their kids study with distance learning, that I could do that. I began helping out two families and soon after they asked me if I could help them with their firstgrade studies.”
Amanda currently only has two afternoon classes with Benicia High, so making time for everything isn’t difficult.
What can be difficult is finding a place to hone her soccer skills. Since the pandemic hit last March, Benicia
High has not played any sports since the spring season ended early. The Cal Maritime soccer programs plan to resume intercollegiate competition in the fall of 2021 after having their seasons suspending during the 2020-21 school year.
Currently, Amanda practices with her club team as well as going to nearby parks, where she sets up cones and tries to improve her footwork. She also runs a lot, and is set to be on the Benicia High track team, in running events like the 400.
At Cal Maritime next year, Amanda will join an attack led by Caitlin Gibson, Jackie Garcia, and Capri Valdez. Scheese can’t wait to watch them all in action.
“As an attacking center mid, she (Carvalho) has great field vision and timing, a tenacity for scoring goals, and a defensive work rate we are excited to see in action,” Scheese added in the Cal Maritime news release. “She is a fierce competitor, and we can’t wait to welcome her to the Keelhauler family and see her out on the pitch competing for us this fall.”
“I really like her coaching style. She’s really one with the players. The big thing is she helps me with things off the field, too. Throughout high school, I feel she has been someone I could always talk to. Plus I like her leadership skills.”
— Amanda Carvalho, on Cal Maritime coach Emily Scheese.