Soccer is a game of intense coordination and requires years to perfect good technical skills to control the ball. Not too many kids master the skills necessary to play at the high school level. One family, the DiBlasi family, has taken the game of soccer to the next level.
The patriarch of the family, Vince DiBlasi, has all his kids from the oldest, Karissa, to the youngest, Vinnie, playing the game. The three girls that play for the family are Karissa, Lacey and Ashlyn. Vinny is the only son.
Vince believes his kids have learned a lot from playing soccer and he is not just talking about kicking a ball around.
“It has taught them discipline, and it has taught them how to work as a team, as opposed to a lot of individual sports,” Vince said. “I see a big benefit for these kids being able to work with others. They get along with everyone. It drives them to be their best because they don’t want to let anyone down. This has motivated them most of their lives.”
Vince said he got his kids involved when they were young. Three of the kids started when they were 4 and the oldest started when she was 6.
“We moved to Vegas and we looked for something to get them into. We as parents did not know anything about soccer. So we started them playing when they were young,” he said.
Vince even got involved in the game as a coach despite never playing it himself. That was when his daughter, Ashlyn, was 9 years old. He said the whole family just kept playing the game.
“I ended up coaching them through the years. They have all been playing since as early as they could. They just have fallen in love with it.”
His wife Keri believes the game has had a positive influence on the family.
“Soccer has done a lot for my kids. It has built their confidence,” she said.
Ashlyn is the senior player in the family now that her sister graduated from high school in 2013. Her older sister now works and lives in Arizona.
Ashyln has taken her game to the new heights and plays club ball.
I started playing with Joe (Sladek) the season after my freshman year. It has taken me to the Western regional game in New Mexico last year,” Ashlyn said.
That Western regional for club soccer was highly prestigious prize. The best in the West play at this tournament and Pahrump’s club team took it for the first time.
She believes club ball really has enhanced her skills and playing at that level has helped out her varsity high school team. It has also made her a better person.
“Soccer has given me opportunities. It has taught me to get organized. I had no time with school and soccer when I played club last year and needed that skill. It has also taught me to work hard. When I was playing club I would go to Vegas three to four times a week. We often didn’t get back until 10 p.m,” Ashlyn explained.
Ashlyn feels club is a whole new game and she has enjoyed the level of competition it has given her. Through club she has raised her level of playing. She said every team you play at that level is good.
“In club there is a lot of passing and movement in the game,” she said. “Joe has always told us that it always takes a couple of years even to get to that level. I like soccer. I like the action. It is always going.”
When she was younger Ashlyn remembers doing other sports, but none of them felt as good as soccer.
For Ashlyn, soccer was the only game in town. She never really could take an interest in anything else.
“I did gymnastics and ballet and I told myself, ‘this is not OK, it’s not me.’ We play together,” she said.
Ashlyn wants to play ball in college. She also thinks if college ball doesn’t work that she will someday be teaching the game to younger kids.
“I am going to college,” she said. “I want to stay in Nevada and I still want to play soccer at the college level. I just went to Dixie State for their soccer camp. I even will want to coach one day. I want to start coaching girls. I want to play soccer my whole life and if I can’t play I will coach it.”
Freshman Lacey has been playing most of her life too. She too plays high school ball and has made it to the junior varsity level.
“My sister encouraged me to play the sport this year. Without her telling me to play I think I would have sat out. I even think if it was not for Ashlyn I would never have started,” Lacey said.
She says she is glad she is still playing the game.
“I like soccer. I am a striker for the junior varsity team. The striker controls the front of the field and some of the back,” she said.
Lacey plays as much as she can. She has a hip injury, which she sustained in a quad (four-wheel drive vehicle) accident a couple of years ago. The intense pain from flipping her quad required her to have hip surgery.
“My sister is really good. The only thing that holds her back is her hip.” Ashlyn said.
Lacey said that Ashlyn is the coach of the family.
“She helps me a lot by teaching me moves to make me better,” she said.
Vinny loves the game too. He has watched all his sisters play the game. He is 11 and just started the sixth grade.
“I love the sport and running. I am fast and it keeps me active,” Vinny said.
He loves it also when Ashlyn helps him out with is his game.
“She tells me different moves and tells me how to shield the ball better to keep people from stealing the ball. She has also taught me different tricks,” Vinny said.
Ashlyn thinks her brother has a lot of talent.
“For my brother’s age my brother is the best. I can still beat him though,” she said. “My brother kicks really good corner kicks and can even score off of them. Lacey also has that talent.”