Lakewood Ranch High soccer player gets international exposure

Opportunities to compete internationally are not so easily earned. Only certain talented athletes are selected.

It’s the ultimate honor for some. They’re able to represent their country while testing themselves against other elite performers from across the globe.

For Sky Commissar, it’s starting to become the norm.

The rising sophomore at Lakewood Ranch High played for Team Great Britain at the Costa Blanca Cup in Benidorm, Spain, from July 6-9. Now in its 32nd year, the youth soccer tournament featured 100 clubs from 24 countries, crowning champions in 14 divisions.

In the girls’ U16 division, Team Great Britain won its group by defeating Atlético San Blas of Spain, 5-2, tying C.F. Introsports of Spain, 1-1, and defeating Sporting Club Féminin 78 of France, 3-0, in that order.

Commissar scored one goal and recorded three assists in the tournament as her team reached the semifinals, but ultimately lost to Norsk Spiller Utvikling of Norway, 2-1.

“(I was) looking forward to it and preparing for it for a long time,” Commissar said. “I knew probably around the beginning of the year that I made it, so I started preparing early.”

This is the second consecutive summer she’s gone overseas. In July 2025, she visited Israel to represent Great Britain at the Maccabiah Games, also known as the Jewish Olympics.

Three seasons of high school soccer are still to come for Commissar, and already, she’s building a resume of international play. It takes talent to fuel such a rapid rise.

Born in London, she grew up in a family of soccer fanatics, but started out in an entirely different sport — gymnastics. She also tried her hand at ballet and flag football.

Soccer formally entered her life when she was 6 years old. She asked her father, Rob Commissar, if she could give it a try — much to his delight as he is a former player himself.\

The pitch has been her playground ever since.

Image courtesy of Rob Commissar

The Costa Blanca Cup reached her radar thanks to her cousin, Ruby Icklow, who had participated before as a goalkeeper for Team Great Britain. 

It proved to be a far different experience for Sky Commissar than those which she’s had at Lakewood Ranch and with her club, Southwest Florida Premier FC.

“You have to adapt to not being used to the same people, the same surroundings and the same way they play,” Commissar said. “The speed of play, the technical side — that's all different compared to playing with high school people I see every day and club people I see every day.”

Only four of 21 players on varsity for Lakewood Ranch girls soccer in 2025-26 were freshmen. She was one of them, listed at forward.

Cole Richardson, the Lakewood Ranch girls soccer coach, said Commissar could’ve easily been a full-time starter on junior varsity. She recognized in tryouts, though, the newcomer was ready for a more challenging environment.

Her decision to award Commissar a varsity spot was a strong indicator that big things are in store for the rising sophomore.

“She’s confident, she has a great attitude (and) she works hard,” Richardson said. “She’s just a kid who puts her nose down and does the work. I feel like she's not really showy — she just does it.”

Commissar tallied 70 minutes of playing time in her first season with the Mustangs. She didn’t record any goals or assists, but did appear in 14 of the team’s 22 matches.

Every minute of playing time had to be earned on a squad this strong. Lakewood Ranch went back-to-back as the FHSAA Class 6A-Region 3 champion, reaching the 6A state semifinals before losing to Niceville, 4-0.

Still, the freshman contributed to a team which finished 16-3-3 and took her on a journey deep into the postseason. She’ll be prepared for a larger role down the road because of it.

Richardson also admires Commissar’s winning traits, like how she reacted on last season’s senior night when given the opportunity to compete.

“I called her up, and the position she was subbing in for happened to be a senior. Before I realized it, she was like, ‘Nope, that's a senior,’ and she went and sat back down,” Richardson said. “She isn't just thinking about herself and her own time.”

Image courtesy of Rob Commissar

As Rob Commissar will tell you, it’s his daughter’s work ethic which has gotten her this far. It’s what got her to the Costa Blanca Cup and Maccabiah Games in the first place.

She isn’t just willing to work. She’s eager to embrace challenges along the way.

Commissar has been unafraid to set ambitious goals. She wants to play at the NCAA Division I level for Florida State, and eventually, for the England women’s national team.

“If she says she’s going to do something, she's going to do it,” said Rob Commissar. “And if you tell her she can't do something, it's even more motivation for her that she's going to prove everybody wrong.”

Early experiences with Great Britain are steps in the right direction. They’ve given her all-important exposure outside of the U.S., and a taste of what other players her age can do.

How she develops that international-caliber talent over the next three years will determine whether she follows the future path she’s mapped out.

If 2025-26 has been any indication, her travels aren’t over.

“It’s just made me think that if I put my heart into it and use my talent,” Commissar said. “I can go farther.”