As published in The Citizen (www.keysnews.com)

March 29, 2009 -- Like most girls her age, Jasmine Paterson’s began playing youth soccer at 5 years old, but her parents never knew they would raise a child prodigy.

Five years later in a tournament on the west coast Jasmine’s father, Arthur Paterson, said she turned a few heads.

"We went to a national tournament in California with an upper Keys team and Jasmine was 10 playing on a U-12 squad," said Paterson. "An old gentleman from I think Venezuela came over to me and he mentioned ’your daughter is going to be something.’ I really didn’t really focus on that. I guess he was right in a way."

As a 12-year old, Paterson was chosen for the National select team; in 2007 she was selected to the U.S. Under-14 Girls’ Developmental Program’s 100-player roster for Region III. Most recently, Arthur Paterson said she had been chosen for the U.S National U-15 player pool. In April she said she will join the U-15 national team for training and then games. (Editor’s note 4/11/09: Jasmine just returned from Costa Rica where she played with the US Region III ’94 ODP team. She is in California this week playing with the US U-15 National Team in preparation for a college tournament at Stanford University over the weekend of April 18)

Coaches from Miami-Dade County voted her as their player of the year, but most important, Paterson is the Citizen’s girls soccer Player of the Year.

On the field she is fearless, but off the field she is an average 15-year old freshman. In her spare time, Paterson said she enjoys music and art.

"I work out quite a bit but the little free time I have I like to listen and download music," Paterson said. "I also like art. I’m always drawing a lot. I like drawing cartoons, that’s like my specialty."

The freshman shows very little emotions on the field. Against Key West, Paterson scored all three of Coral Shores’ goals to beat the Lady Conchs.

With every goal, she showed no emotion, rather more determined to score again and again.

"If you see Jasmine, she is not really emotional about anything," Arthur Paterson said. "She can score five goals and every goal is the same emotion. She does not jump up in the air when she scores. I didn’t really think she wanted to play but she said she really did."

"I tell myself to play tough. I feel the game is still going and anything can happen," said Jasmine Paterson. "I’m happy when I score a goal, it’s just I want to get back out there and play.

"I get real emotional when we lose. Sometimes I cry because I’m really competitive."

Although she has received national attention and her career will continue to blossom, her biggest accomplishment thus far was the Hurricanes beating Gulliver Prep during the regular season and challenging the Raiders during the postseason.

"Beating Gulliver was my best memory of this year. I’m glad we could finally beat them, you’re not the best," Paterson said. "Making the national team has been one of my dreams for such a long time. I went to the national camp twice without making the team and to actually be on it now and to wear the colors is really exciting.

"This time I had to get mentally stronger. Of course, I had to train harder this time, and any chance I got to play in front of national coaches I took the opportunity to show them I do belong on that team."

Although she could play for any school she so desired, she said her home is at Coral Shores.

"I would never want to move or go to another school," emphasized the future star. "I love my team. My team is very happy for me and they kept telling me I’d make it this far. But I have to keep working harder to stay that far."