Amor Flores

Amor Flores is allergic to not playing soccer. At least, that’s what anyone who knows her might think.

Flores, 16 and a senior at Lanier High School, has a flair for the game. At just 4 feet 9 inches, she stands as the captain of the varsity soccer team and plays for a club team as well. Ever since she was kicking it as a tyke on the field, her biggest dream has been to play for a professional team.

“From the moment I found my team to be my best friends, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” Flores said.

As a player, Flores said she is “aggressive.”

“I’m pretty mean on the field,” she said. “I like a good battle. Plus I can take a bruise and not complain, you know?”

Sometimes Flores’s propensity to throw herself into the game gets the best of her. Last spring, she had a broken middle finger, a sprained ankle and a black toe — all at the same time.

But despite her competitive nature, Flores said it is not about winning.

“It’s about doing what I love,” she said.

Flores said she hopes she will be able to travel in the future. She wants to find a college that will allow her to express her “outdoorsy” nature and provide opportunities for her to explore the world. In addition, Flores said she might join the Peace Corps.

“I like helping people,” she said. “I’ve been volunteering all my life, and I want to keep doing that.”