When Santa Clara Sporting ’93 coach John Slegg  refers to his star player, forward Mariana Galvan, he becomes equal parts coach and fan.

“I’ve coached in this country for seven years, and in England a couple years before that … I’ve never seen a boy or girl with the kind of footwork she has,” Slegg said. “You may see players that are bigger or stronger, but when it comes to raw soccer talent very few compare to her.”

In watching Galvan with the ball for more than a couple sequences, it’s easy to see the root of Slegg’s enthusiasm.

Galvan, a 5-foot-2 playmaker, recently put on a show while playing at the U17 US Women’s National team camp in Carson, California.

The 14-year-old was easily one of the most creative players present, and stood out during scrimmages alongside players like Kylie McCarthy, Courtney Proctor, Taylor Smith, Ashley Spivey, Morgan Brian and Isabel Farrell.

“I watch a lot of YouTube,” Galvan explained, of her stylish ball skills. “When I would watch players growing up, that’s the way they would play.”

In a friendly against the U14 Irvine boy’s team, it was Galvan’s speed and toughness that truly through as she squeezed her way between defenders and never once appeared overmatched. This only makes sense considering she grew up training with boys’ teams.

“She’s not a big player but she’s really hard to knock off the ball. She has a low center of gravity and is strong – it kind of reminds you of (Argentine legend) Diego Maradona,” Slegg said. “She does things that you just can’t predict. You can look at a situation where there really isn’t any space on the field and she’ll find it and put herself in a good position.”

What makes her even more remarkable is the fact that she didn’t start playing soccer until the age of 10 at the urging of her father.

“He told me, ‘your sister ice skates so you have to do something,’ ” Galvan said. “When I first starting playing it was with boys, and I never thought I’d be a great soccer player. They were physical and quicker than me and I just developed my skills and started learning how to play.

“It’s a gift from God, I think. I never knew I had this talent.”

Galvan’s ability and confidence has grown while playing for the U14 girls’ national team and she’s also been a member of two U17 camps this year. It’s been a process that has helped the young player realize just how good she is and how promising her future could be.

“I thought it would be a real challenge for me, and I expected for players to be so much bigger and faster but I kept pace with them,” said Galvan, of the U17 camp.

Her SC Sporting team has performed well in past tournaments like the Far West Regional, and Surf Cup, and was a semifinalist in the 2008 CYSA State Cup.

Galvan leads with her unassuming nature and textbook example.

“She has the skill and puts in the practice,” Slegg said. “She’s a real pleasure to coach. As a coach you want to break down things players do, but sometimes when I watch her I say, ‘how do I explain what she just did?’ So many times she’ll pull the ball out of a tricky situation and basically walk the ball over the goal – it’s fun to watch. She can do what she does against any player, and for a player to be able to do that at her young age is incredible. I won’t be surprised if she’s playing for the US Women’s National team down the line.”

And make no mistake about it, Galvan has her personal goals set well beyond that.

“I want to become as good or surpass (Brazilian star) Marta,” Galvan said. “That would be great.”