Isa Polavieja's personality is truly dynamic for Naperville North. That is ‘what makes this team go.'
Naperville North senior midfielder Isa Polavieja has always played with an Old World flair.
Isa Polavieja has blended that with a newfound confidence to become a formidable leader as a captain for the Huskies this season.
'She's a super versatile kid who has just grown so much over the course of the last three years, not only on the field but as a leader,' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. 'Her personality and her charisma is really what makes this team go this year.'
Isa Polavieja's father, Javier, was born in the Canary Islands and grew up as a staunch Real Madrid fan. He moved to America to marry his wife, Lara.
'My mom's best friend brought him over here and introduced him to my mom,' Polavieja said. 'It was like, 'Oh, you'd really like him.' Boom, so he moved here for her.'
Javier and Lara Polavieja work in the guidance department at Metea Valley. They passed down their passion for soccer to Isa and her older sister, Marina, who played for the Huskies for two seasons before graduating last year.
'My dad was my Park District coach,' Isa Polavieja said. 'He always coaches me from the sidelines, and I look up to him because he's taught me a lot.'
Much of that involved introducing her to a different playing style.
'The way Europeans play soccer is a completely different way than the Americans,' Isa Polavieja said. 'European teams are technical. They get the ball and move it. They're always keeping possession.'
That became her primary objective.
'My dad makes me watch all the European games against my will, but it has really helped me,' Isa Polavieja said. 'Keeping the ball is my No. 1 thing.'
Isa Polavieja, who has one goal and one assist for the Huskies (6-2-2), is good at that. Goletz uses her as an attacking midfielder tasked with getting the ball to Tennessee-bound junior striker Claire DeCook.
'Her work rate and her willingness to just continue to do the dirty work every game for us both offensively and defensively has gotten us off to a great start,' Goletz said of Isa Polavieja. 'She's just a fantastic soccer player.'
That was evident against defending Class 3A state champion New Trier in the championship game of Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Classic in Northfield on Saturday. The Huskies lost 1-0 on penalty kicks but became just the second team to shut out the Trevians (12-0-2).
'You can look at the game and see how many balls she won today and how hard she played,' Naperville North senior defender Abby Penn said. 'Our midfield was running their butts off the whole time. I'm super proud of not only Isa but just our whole team.'
Isa Polavieja's physical skills are obvious, but Penn said her spirit is just as beneficial.
'She's always there to lift everyone up, and I think that's very important as a captain to lift people up,' Penn said. 'She's always there when someone is down. But also her aspect of always working hard is super important.'
Goletz has seen a transformation in Isa Polavieja this season.
'She's got a super fun-loving personality, but when it's time to play, she's a very serious and reflective player,' Goletz said. 'Isa is probably harder on herself than anybody else on the team.
'As she's gotten older and more mature, she's realized that everything is not going to be perfect, and her ability to play through those moments has been incredible. What makes somebody special is the ability to continue to give everything that they have even if they may not be playing their best game, and that's been Isa this year.'
Isa Polavieja said she had confidence issues in the past, but no longer.
'The confidence piece for me is everything,' she said. 'I used to put so much pressure on myself. This year, I learned to just play as hard as I can.
'When I encourage people, I play better. I've progressed a lot in that aspect of not getting down on myself, just being positive no matter what.'
Isa Polavieja, who plans to major in business at Illinois but won't play soccer there, is fluent in Spanish. She has embraced her heritage ever since she visited the Canary Islands as a child.
'When we go to Spain, we try to go for a long trip so we can visit family,' Isa Polavieja said. 'Some are in Seville, and some are in Madrid. It's super nice having that whole other world.'
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