NIWOT, Colo. — At home, in school, or on the field, soccer is always top of mind for Cora Roberts. The Niwot High School junior has severe hearing loss in each ear, but that does not stop her from chasing her dreams on the pitch.
"My eardrums ruptured when I was six years old, and we didn't really think anything of it. Then my kindergarten teacher kept yelling at me because I couldn't hear her. So my parents were like, 'okay, maybe we'll get you to have a hearing test,' so we learned that I had severe hearing loss in both ears," Roberts said.
WATCH: Niwot teen proves hearing loss can't silence professional soccer dreams
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Over the years, she's had eight surgeries to try to fix her eardrums because of infections, but none of them have worked. This month is Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Month and Roberts said it marks her tenth year of wearing hearing aids.
"I've come to a place where it's like I enjoy my hearing aids and thankfully, the infections aren't frequent enough that it would turn into anything else," Roberts said.
This summer, Roberts scored big as she was called up to the U.S. Deaf National Youth Team that took place in Atlanta, Georgia at the new U.S. soccer facility. She said this was her first time playing alongside deaf and hard of hearing athletes.
"It was very emotional and I think it was special because a lot of us, that was our very first time there. So a lot of us fell towards each other and united a lot," Roberts said.
Stephen Dimit is the head coach of the Niwot girls high school soccer team and has seen the sport explode in popularity with the start of the Denver Summit. He described Roberts as an outside player who was bright and full of energy, that is now growing into one of the leaders of the team.
"One of the big things that we ask is that players, both character and courage and Cora brings that every single day," said Dimit. "She's expressive on the ball. She has nothing but love for her teammates and just brings an outstanding energy to our team."
He explained how her selection to join the U.S. Deaf National Youth Team embodies the kind of athlete who can inspire change beyond the field.
"We were all just so proud of her, and I think it's so cool that Cora gets a chance to be an ambassador for athletes with hearing difference, because this is something that that I think is underrepresented. I think it's amazing that in the United States, we have a team that can represent in that way and I love that we have somebody who's brave and bold and caring to share her story. It's outstanding and I'm super proud of her," Dimit said.
The Niwot girls soccer team plays during the spring season, but in the fall Roberts is on the Colorado Rush. She said her teammates have started learning sign language to better communicate on the pitch.