Junior forward/midfielder Bella Najera had the perfect inspiration for learning the speed of high school soccer. As a kid, she was a ball girl for St. Charles North.
Her older sister, Claudia, was a standout forward who played on North Stars teams that won four straight sectional titles and lost just one regular-season game in three years.
Bella looked to match the intensity and competitive edge shown by Claudia, who’s now a forward at Iowa State. But Bella, a Michigan State recruit, is no slouch herself.
She took on her best qualities.
“Growing up, we’d always play in the backyard,” Bella said. “We were always a very competitive family. I always wanted to follow her steps.
“In middle school, I was always the ball girl for her. I knew how the varsity played and what the expectations of the program were.”
Now, Bella Najera commands the spotlight as one of the best players in her class. She’s one of eight returning starters from a Class 3A sectional finalist.
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Najera earned all-state honors last year after scoring 19 goals and creating nine assists during an abbreviated sophomore season.
“I really like myself on the ball all the time,” she said. “I think I am tactical and I like to create plays for myself and others.
“I like to be aggressive and take people on and play others through and create chances. Whenever I get a chance to shoot and it’s a good shot, I like to take it.”
Najera committed in November to the Spartans. She also had an offer from Iowa State and interest from Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Notre Dame.
Her immediate impact on the varsity was impressive considering she missed her freshman season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Still, Najera demonstrated technical skill and athletic prowess, using her breakaway speed and creativity with the ball to optimize St. Charles North’s attack.
In Saturday’s season opener, she sparked the North Stars to a 6-0 nonconference victory over Neuqua Valley by scoring the first goal in the ninth minute.
Her confidence and focus are a connecting thread to a talented team, according to junior defender Lauren Balster.
“Bella is the ultimate player you want on your team,” Balster said. “She is a hard worker, extremely skilled and a great leader on the field. She has a high soccer IQ and does a great job placing the ball and creating space for her teammates.
“She is also one of my best friends off the field, so it’s special to get to play next to her.”
As the youngest child of three, Najera learned to carve out her own identity. Her older brother, Alex, is a freshman baseball player at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Her earliest memory of the game was dribbling around at age 5 with the Little Kickers youth program. She gravitated immediately to the innocence, joy and open qualities of soccer.
“I just love the ability to dribble around and control the game,” she said.
A game for Najera that has been so inextricably tied to her growth, development and relationships both on and off the field, senior defender Sidney Timms pointed out, continues to showcase many different levels.
“Bella is such a creative player,” Timms said. “She elevates the entire game whenever she is on the field. She puts 100% into playing offense and defense.
“Most players are only OK at both or good at one of the two. It’s crazy for her to be at that level on both. You could put her at any position on the field and she would do well.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.