Herriman — Liv Watt has always loved soccer.

“I have been playing soccer since I was three years old and have always loved it,” says the Real Salt Lake Academy High School sophomore. So when Real Salt Lake Academy High School opened a few years ago just minutes from her house, she knew that that was the high school she wanted to pursue her soccer dreams at. 

“When I heard about this school opening up, I was only in eighth grade the first year it opened, and so I just knew that I wanted to go,” says Watt.

But this year was extra special for this new charter high school. 

“This year, we are full-fledged members of the Utah High School Activities Association,” says Becky Hogan, the school’s athletic director. 

“Last year, we played but none of our games really counted since we weren’t in a region. So last year they were more just scrimmages getting us ready for this year to go to the state championships, which we did. And so I am really proud of our team and glad we got to participate in that this year,” Watt said concerning the school joining the UHSAA.

The campus has a stadium that holds 5,000 people, five grass fields and has an indoor practice facility that has two full-sized soccer fields.

“Better than anything you’ll play on in the regular world, so I have never seen anything like our fields,” says Hogan.

With the state-of-the-art soccer facilities that even Real Salt Lake, the Royals and the Monarchs all train on, this high school has no where but up to go. 

“We get to practice everyday. That is part of our curriculum — that we are able to practice and train on the fields. So just being able to be in a facility like that to train and work hard is an incredible experience,” Watt said.

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