Carson Ashley, a Burroughs senior and four-year varsity veteran on the soccer team, is competing to be featured in a 3Brand ad in Sports Illustrated and to take home $25,000.
At the moment, Ashley is in fifth place in the quarter-finals. Voting ends for this round on Thursday, Sept. 18. The Ashley family is hoping the public will help him win the contest through a click of the vote on the Youth Athlete of the Year website (https://athleteoftheyear.org/2025/carson-e6b6).
Ashley began playing soccer at age 5 and found his passion for the sport early on.
“When I was young, soccer was just the sport I wanted to try and I stuck with it,” Ashley said.
Since then, he has been beyond committed to the sport.
“I am always trying to give it my all, always practicing and improving my game,” Ashley stated. He has traveled out of Ridgecrest for years to seek greater training than a small town has to offer, driving out of town multiple times with his family a week to attend training and games for SoCal Elite.
Aside from working to be Youth Athlete of the Year, he has also made it onto the Olympic Development Team, a nationally-recognized program that identifies “high potential” high school athletes. Ashley says making the team was special because it was something he had always worked for.
To further elevate his game and improve his chances of playing at the college level, Ashley has taken a step beyond other players.
“I have connected with college coaches to make my dream of playing at a high level come true,” he said.
What is Ashley biggest takeaway from his years of playing soccer?
“Always keep trying your hardest and keep pushing forward,” he said. “It will pay off.”
