ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - It was a big day for Azteca FC on Saturday, July 25, as friends and family of each athlete showed up in support of the athletes signing their National Letters of Intent to compete in college.  

The letter of intent is an agreement between the student-athlete and an NCAA-member college saying that the student-athlete is committed to play that sport while attending school. 

Five athletes from Azteca FC signed their letter of intent, making it a day to remember for both the players and the club. 

Head Coach and Founder of Azteca FC Rose Shoen stated, “This is the largest signing group I’ve coached here; they are the best.” 

Shoen gave high praise to her players as she knows what it is supposed to be like at the next level, because she has both played and coached at a high level for a long time. 

Azteca FC offers youth and adult athletic clubs for both soccer and track. It also prepares youth players to be ready for collegiate competition no matter the level. That includes having one of their athletes sign a letter of intent to compete in cross country/track and field.

All of the athletes that signed were all from the greater Sacramento area, but only one was from Elk Grove, Kenden Chapelle. 

Chapelle graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 2020 while playing soccer for the Blackhawks Soccer Club before attending Cosumnes River College. He played for the Hawks soccer team in the spring of 2021 and 2022.

And for the last two years he has been playing for Coach Shoen at Azteca FC. 

Now going forward into his collegiate career, he will be attending Sterling College in Kansas, on scholarship to play soccer, where he will be leaving to attend and start training in the next month. 

“I’m excited to continue playing soccer at the next level while getting my school paid for,” Chapelle stated. 

To get school paid for as a student-athlete is the dream. 

It allows the athlete to focus on the sport that they are playing instead of needing to find a job on top of a busy schedule. 

“I’m going to do my best and give it my all when I am there, so that I can continue playing even at the next level,” said Chapelle. 

He is determined to keep playing soccer once his collegiate career is over.