Whenever he put on his uniform on game day, The Dalles senior Aldo Rivas felt it as an honor to represent something much bigger than himself.
Whether he was an Eagle Indian or a Riverhawk, he said it was a privilege to be a part of The Dalles boys’ soccer team.
“When it was game day, we wore the jersey, it wasn't just like wearing any other regular jersey,” Rivas said. “So when I wore it, I would strive for my best to make our school and community stand out, and make it stand out not just with results in the game, but also with professionalism and respect to our rivals when playing at their school.”
The three-time Columbia River Conference all-league attacking midfielder capped his illustrious career with a second-team, all-state soccer award for his play this fall.
Rivas is the first TD soccer player to earn all-state status since 2010 when Omar Perez was named to the first team.
It still hasn’t sunk in yet that the state’s coaches felt he was one of the 25 best 5A soccer athletes.
“It's been real humbling knowing how many great players there are, not just around the area, but in the state and still being recognized,” Rivas said.
As a veteran of the Riverhawks, Rivas was thrust into a leadership role for first-year head coach Greg Burkart.
The Dalles started 2014 by winning four of its first five games with wins over Redmond, St. Helens, Ridgeview and Madras. In those contests, the Riverhawks outscored those opponents by a 20-6 margin. Because of that start, The Dalles moved up the 5A rankings to as high as No. 7.
Rivas dazzled on both sides of the field, using his speed and ball handling abilities to create offensive chances. With Rivas leading the way with 16 goals and 12 assists, the Riverhawks improved offensively, going from 24 goals scored in 2013 to 33 in this campaign. Rivas, who was a second team winner as a sophomore, earned a spot on the CRC first team in both his junior and senior years.
This has been the only time the Riverhawk team captain has been nominated as an all-state member.
In addition to his athletic accolades and leadership skills, Rivas has maintained a 3.5 grade point average and enrolled in advanced placement classes.
He also served as vice president of the Associated Student Body and was a public relations officer.
“Aldo was team captain for more reasons than his soccer skills. He leads by example,” Burkart said. “He works hard and inspires others to work hard around him. He has a quiet confidence that is recognizable by the other members of the team. He does a good job in the classroom and seems to avoid negative on the field and off the field situations that seem to ensnare others. When things get tough at practice or in a game, Aldo is the young man who is looked to for leadership.”
As the years have gone on, Rivas grew in stature and once he matured, the dribbling, shooting, passing and running part of the game blossomed.
Burkart said that Rivas was always willing to put in the time to do the hard work needed to improve.
Being a coachable player and a solid citizen helped pave the way for years of success on the field.
“It's been a lot of hard work, dedication, motivation, and determination,” Rivas said.
“The only way to get better at anything is to keep doing it and practicing it. As long as you are determined to improve and motivate yourself to dedicate time and hard work, you will achieve anything.”
Having all of the requisite traits is something Rivas prides himself on the most.
“Personally for me, it’s amazing being mentioned as all-state,” Rivas said. “But, I would rather be a role model. I believe anyone can be a role model.
“Anyone who is interested in sports or education activities and they are not involved in any problems and getting in trouble can be role models even if they aren’t acknowledged with an award.”
Once he graduates, Rivas is not done with his academic or athletic career.
The plan is to go to college with a major in the health field.
And he still has those competitive juices flowing to play soccer at the highest level.
Down the road, coaching is definitely in the cards.
“My best advice to any kid or anyone, is to never give up on anything, whether it’s sports or school or any dream,” Rivas said. “The first step is having the dream. The next step is trying to make it come true.”
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