The worn down, antiquated VHS tapes come out every once in a while, but not often. Just enough for a father to remind his daughter of what he was once capable of.

And Vanessa DiBernardo knows plenty about her father Angelo’s glory days. She’s aware of his growing up in Argentina and becoming an All-American at Indiana; she’s been briefed on the professional career with the New York Cosmos, the U.S. National team caps and Olympic Games.

But truth be told, even if there were no stories relayed from family friends or old footage in the video archives, DiBernardo would know plenty about her father the soccer player.

All she’d have to do is look in the mirror.

“I’ve been around him when friends come up and say that they see a lot of him in me,” Vanessa said. “They say that I’m always attacking like him, and that I’m comfortable with the ball like he was.”

A "little Angelo" in a girl’s body, is the way some have referred to Vanessa on the soccer field, her ability and mannerisms harkening back to her old man.

It was Angelo that placed the ball in her possession at the age of four, and who has molded her as a coach and father since the age of seven. Angelo heads her America’s Soccer club team (just outside of Chicago) and is also the boy’s high school coach at Waubonsie Valley, where Vanessa rules on the girls' side.

It’s this unique coach/father dynamic that gives them a unique relationship and instills the right amount of instruction vs. love for the game in Vanessa.

“I leave my father hat at home when we’re at practice or in games, and the rest of the time I wear both hats,” Angelo said. “She’s a smarter player and understands the game better than I did at her age. It’s very gratifying for me to watch her – she has a great sense of the game as a teammate, and a lot of younger kids look up to her.”

And for good reason.  

Vanessa, headed to Illinois next year, is an effortless attacker whose natural chemistry with the game is evident every time she steps on the field. It’s one of the many reasons TopDrawerSoccer.com currently has her ranked No. 50 on the 2010 Girls Top 100 list alongside Julie Johnston, Danielle Nottingham, Lisa Nouanesengsy, Ellen Parker, Katie Nasenbenny and Amanda Frisbie.

Her father being an international player, Vanessa can play with flair and personality while dominating in different ways. She has the instincts and well-rounded skills of a central midfielder - where she plays mostly for America’s SC and has earned her way into national team camps and competitive trips abroad – along with the killer instinct of a striker, a position she has occupied while capturing two state titles with Waubonsie.

A couple years ago Vanessa had the opportunity to travel to Angelo’s native Argentina where she was introduced to some of his former teammates and played soccer against a few locals. She was intrigued with how the players there kept the ball tight to their bodies while displaying strong footwork.

It was a lesson better experienced than explained to her by dad.

“Most times I listen to him but once in a while we might butt heads and I don’t,” Vanessa admitted. “On the field he treats me just like any other player and he always gives me great feedback. It’s nice to have him there.”

Vanessa may not admit it, but it’s also nice to have those old tapes at her disposal, along with a wise man who has already walked the path in which she’s heading.

“The advice that I always give her is, ‘don’t ever cheat yourself out of something by not giving your all,’ ” Angelo said. “Opportunities come and go, but she loves the game and always plays with a smile – so if she wants to go down the (professional path) it’s up to her.”