Hermiston High student attends selective soccer camp in Spain
Published 3:00 pm Monday, August 25, 2025
HERMISTON — Hermiston High School senior goalkeeper Giovanni Villarreal-Sotelo spent part of his summer training at a selective two-week professional-style camp in Pamplona, Spain.
The Elite Soccer Camp, organized by PMP Global Sports, provides attendees with elite training and high-level competition. PMP says it aims to help teenagers worldwide pursue college or professional soccer after high school.
Villarreal-Sotelo said one of his online highlight videos caught the attention of PMP Global Sports. After a short interview, PMP offered him a spot at the camp. Villarreal-Sotelo said he was the only player selected from the Northwest.
A professional camp
Villarreal-Sotelo said he was treated like a professional during the July 21-Aug. 3 camp.
His days typically began early with meals, followed by training sessions. Practice drills were technical and fast-paced. Goalkeepers practiced blocking shots and protecting the goal, while other players worked on passing, scoring goals and ball handling.
The camp was “not like high school soccer,” Villarreal Sotelo said.
Outside of training, players toured professional soccer stadiums and watched professional teams practice.
The camp included four games against Spain-based soccer teams that became more difficult over time. Villarreal-Sotelo’s team played against a Division 6 team first, and then had two games against higher-ranked Division 5 teams. The final match was against a Division 4 professional team.
The last team wasn’t the biggest or fastest, but “they moved the ball really fast,” Villarreal-Sotelo said. “They scored on us really easily.”
Through the camp, Villarreal-Sotelo said he learned U.S. soccer players often rely on strength and speed. He said Spanish players, by contrast, excel by working hard and being smart and strategic about how they play the game.
“I saw some small skinny kid taking on 29-year-olds who were built like ‘The Rock,’” Villarreal-Sotelo said.
What’s next?
Villarreal-Sotelo said he hopes the Hermiston High Bulldogs will qualify for state in the spring 2026 soccer season. Villarreal-Sotelo said the last time the Bulldogs made it to the state championship was his sophomore year, his first season on varsity.
Beyond high school, Villarreal-Sotelo said he aims to continue playing at the community college or four-year college level. He said he’s started visiting schools, but has not made commitments yet.