SAN JOSE, Calif. –San Jose State fans in attendance at the Spartan Soccer Complex this season might think they are seeing double. That's because the Spartans added another talented, yet not unfamiliar face to their lineup this offseason in the form of Sabrina Nava, twin sister of junior midfielder Natalia Nava.
Sabrina joined the squad in January, deciding to transfer from Seattle University where she appeared in nine matches at defender as a freshman before sitting out her sophomore year. The decision was easy for multiple reasons, notably getting to return to her home of San Jose and the prospect of playing with her sister again, but the transition was far from easy with many challenges waiting in the distance.
"Transferring is never easy and I transferred at a time that was not typical," Nava said. "I was jumping into a program that was halfway through its year and it was my job to catch on pretty quickly. I think it was assumed that my transition would have been easy because I am a San Jose native and my twin had been playing with the SJSU women's soccer team since her freshman year, but it wasn't. Being gone for a year and a half, I had gotten used to a new city and new friends that I was sad to leave and felt unfamiliar in the SJSU environment. It was pretty much bitter sweet."
In addition to the growing pains of leaving what had been her home for over a year, Nava also experienced a challenge in the form of a heavy academic workload awaiting her at San Jose State. At Seattle, she was in a quarter system with three classes in a semester. That ramped up to five classes once she arrived at SJSU. Thankfully, her new Spartan Family helped ease the transition, even if their spring season together was cut short.
"During the difficult time, I was happy that the team I was transferring to was SJSU," Nava said. "Off the bat I knew it was a great fit for me. My team was beyond welcoming and it felt like I had already been a part of the team for years. My coaches were really understanding and helpful in making sure I was doing well and making me feel welcome. I was sad that spring season was cut short because I only got to play one game with the team. I felt that once I was starting to get to know them, everything ended and as a transfer that was just really disappointing."
That disappointment is shared among many athletes that saw their spring seasons cut short due to COVID-19. Not only did it bring an end to spring competition, but social distancing dispersed the team and forced them to work out and train on their own schedules. That part presented a few extra challenges for Nava.
"As a Division I athlete I think it is always expected to do independent training so it wasn't anything new for me to run, lift, or practice on my own," Nava said. "Being that there are limited resources, it's an added challenge to stay on top of all of those things. Fitness is one of the only things people can control of regardless of most resources, but tracks have been closed down and it takes a lot of creativity to find ways around what's going to stay fit but also to stay healthy. Soccer is also a team sport and a big part of preparing for season is group trainings, with all the protocols it makes it difficult to prepare in that way. You can only kick a ball at a wall for so long."
Whenever Sabrina and the rest of the team returns to campus, there will be a lot of smiling faces in the SJSU women's soccer team meeting room. The team as a whole shares an incredible connection to one another. The coaching staff and players care for each other and rely on one another like family. That was one of the biggest reasons for Nava's decision to join the program in the first place, and her love for the coaching staff and their approach to leading the program is shared by all.
"I am a really big fan of the coaching staff at SJSU," Nava said. "As soon as I started with the program goals were set and the coaches stood by their expectations. They are straight up and aren't afraid to push the team to be the best that they can be. They hold you accountable. Lauren Hanson and the coaching staff also incorporates something they call 'classroom' into our practice schedule, where the team has an opportunity to learn about each other and what it means to not only be a hardworking athlete, but to be a great person. I feel lucky to be a part of this program because I feel that at the end of it I will come out of it with so much. I haven't come across another program where the coaches are so involved and genuinely care about their players' feelings and thoughts. They have the drive to make us not only great on the field, but great well-rounded people as well. They also take the time to have one on ones with all their players and are good at listening and understanding.
"As for the girls, I really appreciate the team diversity because I have come to realize that it is not like that everywhere," Nava continued. "If you look at soccer rosters from other schools you will see that the diversity ratio is very low. I think that is something that makes SJSU special. It's nice to feel welcome on a team because there are other girls that look like me and relate to me. I felt really embraced by the team and it was very encouraging. When the girls found out I was transferring they were all excited and thought it was really cool that I was joining them and my sister. As a transfer, that's a great feeling because you don't really know how well you'll get along with your new team and it really made me feel like I made the right decision."
Spartan head coach Lauren Hanson has already seen the potential that Nava has brought with her and is equally excited to have her as a valuable piece of the program.
"Sabrina has integrated nicely into our Spartan Soccer Family," Hanson said. "She has showed she is a quick learner and has brought experience already to our back line. We are excited about her future here at SJSU."
The road that got Sabrina Nava to San Jose State and to this moment has been a long and challenging one. However, another challenge remains when she is finally allowed to lace up the cleats again, and that is the challenge of playing alongside her sister and best friend again. This challenge, however, is one that she welcomes and is excited to take on.
"I feel like people assume that it would be easy to jump in and play together when in reality it's been a fun challenge," Nava said. "I think it's a misconception that because we're twins we're the same, but we're actually very different, so it adds challenges with us coming together again because we know how to push each other's buttons. Overall I'm excited to get to play with my sister again because she is my best friend. I've played with her all my life, but college soccer is very different and it's exciting to play at that level together. We are super competitive with each other so it'll be fun to push each other in another way. I haven't really had the opportunity to get to relearn what it's like playing with my sister yet since COVID, but I am excited to get that chance. My family is also super excited that they will be able to watch me and my sister play together, which makes it a lot easier. It's also fun to play in my hometown because it allows family and friends I've made growing up to come and watch my sister and I play together in college. Not many people have the opportunity to play alongside their twin in front of so many loved ones, so I feel very grateful to have to have this opportunity. I'm excited to become a dynamic duo again."