- April 19, 2024
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Miracle Porter might not be a household name around Flagler County yet, but it’s a pretty good bet that will change over the next five years.
Porter, 13, is an eighth-grader at Indian Trails Middle School. But she’s more popularly known among her friends as “Miraculous,” the nickname she goes by on her U14 Flagler Force soccer club team.
Last year, Porter, a forward, was selected to the U.S. Olympic Development Program’s Florida team for players born in 1998. And last week, she was in Alabama for a five-day camp.
The camp ended when she was selected for the Region 111 ODP team — a pool of 30 players comprising 11 states in the Southeastern U.S. On top that, Porter was actually one of the 18 players named to the official roster.
It all began much earlier than last year for Porter, though.
She started playing soccer around the age of 3. By 5, she was playing with her uncle’s team. Playing up age groups is something she’s accustomed to. She’s playing older than her actual age on Pat Gould’s U14 Flagler Force. They will move to U15 as of Aug. 1.
Thanks to Porter’s speed and size, she’s been able to maintain her dominance despite playing with older players.
“The thing about Miracle that stands out is she’s been playing at such a high level even though she’s always been playing up and maintained what she can do,” Gould said. “She’s the fastest kid I’ve ever seen.”
At first, Porter used her size and speed against her opponents. While playing for the Indian Trails Middle School Mustangs, Porter scored 48 of the team’s 67 goals during a nine-game season.
But Gould has helped polish Porter. She’s gone from raw athlete to pure soccer player.
After eighth grade, Porter will likely attend Matanzas High School. Until then, she knows she has work to do — not just for club, but also for her ODP region team where she will play right wing.
“Our coach said I needed to work on my (movement off the ball),” Porter said.
But besides soccer, Porter said she has a bigger priority: “My school work.”
Gould said it’s not a miracle that Porter is as good as she is. He said it’s all about her “determination.”
“If she wants it, she’s got it,” he said.
