The red and white number 14 goes over how her passion for soccer, which now sees her as both a player and a coach, came about.

Sevina Bylykbashi, class of 1996, started playing as all children do: “In a field near home with my cousins in a small town in Durres, Albania. It was the only field and we would all meet there. I used to play everywhere, I would start at the back then go in attack and come back in defense, sometimes I was even in goal. We didn’t mind the roles, we just played. When I was 13 I came to Italy and after a year I joined Grifo Perugia. I started in the Primavera then little by little I got to the first team.”

The goal he remembers most fondly was from the first half of last season: “We were at the home of San Marino Academy. We were losing 1-0, I went in and after 2 minutes I scored. I had all my teammates on me, it was really exciting.” Despite being a striker, her favorite player is a midfielder: “I’ve always loved Frank Lampard. The first gift from my cousin was a shirt of his, from there I started following him when he played at Chelsea.”

The concept of a team for Sevina is based on human qualities even before football: “The team must be such in every way, in times of difficulty it must help you. As an old coach of mine used to say, the team is like a fist. We all have to be together, like a family.” Sevina is very self-critical: “Every game I tell myself that I made mistakes and that I should have played better. Even when I play well for me it is not enough.”

Sevina also sees soccer in her future: “Someday I would like to become a coach.”