Good and Bad times About Soccer

As far I can remember, I started to play soccer since I could walk with my own feet. My dad Luis and mom Rosa told me that I eat, drink and sleep soccer. Soccer is for me the best sport ever invented. Soccer has helped me a lot because soccer is a beautiful sport that so far has kept me away from drugs and gangs! When I turned nine-years-old I knew that I was going to master the sport. When I was depressed, angry, or sad a soccer ball would always be there.  Basically, I grew up next to a soccer field, but sometimes that passion for soccer would come with consequences! When I was in my home country, Guatemala I had some opportunities showing my talent. But then my mom decided to bring me here, to America. It was hard to leave my friends and the good memories that I had in the streets of my “barrio.”



Most of the time when I got out of school, I would go the park called “El barrio loco” (the crazy town.”) That town was famous because everyone who wanted to play soccer, that would be the right place to be in. In that field would it not matter what age or height you were! It was just about prove them that you had skills and hopefully a soccer club might sign you for their youth academics. The players there would play rough and hard all the time. I played a few times with some high school “stars”, when I was just a sixth-grader. Trust me, one of the things you should not do to them is to embarrass them in the field. I remember this kid named Eduardo Garcia, who was a high school guy. We were playing in appositive teams. An older man passed me the ball in the air. I received the ball with my chest and I saw Eduardo coming toward me. I was running with the ball while I was juggling at the same time. I think that he thought that I was going to stop the ball and make a simple pass, but I didn’t. I passed the ball over his head, then I received the ball on the other side, still keeping the ball in the hair… I didn’t let the ball to touch the ground. I think he got mad because he made a fifteen yard sprint! When I saw him coming toward me behind my back I was freaking out! But then I passed the ball over him again! I heard some “ole toro.” “Ole toro” it’s a sound that people make when a soccer player makes a fantasy move or makes the appositive player look bad. That move led me know that I was really for a real club.



When I turned nine, the youth academics of Fc Marquenze signed me for three-years. My first season was great because I scored twelve goals in eighteen games and finished second in place of the state.  In my second season with club Marquenze, I was the top scorer of the league with nineteen goals and eight assistances to my teammates. My third year was the best because I was invited to the National Youth Try Outs when I was only thirteen-years-old! I tried out with the U-14 boys. I made the J.V team, but my good times wouldn’t last long. Five days later I found out that the U.S government of America gave my mom my legal papers, which meant that I must move with my mom. Leaving my soccer club, my grandmother, my grandfather, my soccer teammates, and my good memories really killed me! I felt like if the world was against me!

When I got here, to America, it was really complicated because I didn’t know any English! But a few months later I was able to adapt to the new type of country and the new type of living.  I started to go to the school which was ok because I was invited to play football, but it was the “American” football not the soccer football. Five months later I got to know more people; I was really happy because people treated really well. Since I moved from Guatemala I didn’t play soccer for about eight-months. That was killing me inside! But later on I met Dave Coffman, a soccer coach. The first impression I had about him was that he knew a lot about soccer because you could tell by looking at his eyes and the way he would observe the kids when they were training.



Since I met Mr. Coffman I knew he was the right person to talk to about soccer. He trained  and kept Uriel Cordoba, Benito Mata, Jonny Garcia, Luis Mancilla, Marcos Cortez,  and I to a soccer team called “Kids Unlimited United.” All of us played for that team for almost three years. When we got to high school soccer level, just Benito and I made varsity. Benito made varsity for North Medford High School, and me for South Medford High School. Making varsity was the best part because I would have a chance to show my skills at a higher level. I was really proud of myself because I made varsity as a freshman, but the best part of that was that I was in the starting line-up for the whole season and that I went to the State Play Offs. After my season with South I met another coach named Scott Byrd. Recently, he is my coach. He recommended me to ODP (Oregon Development Program.)



The purpose of ODP is to increase the chances of youth a soccer player to be successful in college level or to become a professional soccer player. Every player in that program is the best player in their region. The level of skills is really high. Playing at that level has given me a chance to try out for the U-17 national team in Guatemala. They have invited me to try out for them. I was really happy when the assistant manager of the program called me on January 13th of 2012! They had been watching me since I moved from Guatemala. The try outs are next month on March 25th. Right now I’m working harder than ever to be in 110% shape because I would not get this type of opportunity every day! If I make the first team I would stay in Guatemala and continue with my education over there, that’s what the contract of the try outs said. Competing at the highest level and never give up has brought me to this chance. I just want to tell something to my teachers in Jefferson Elementary School, McLoughlin Middle School, and High Medford High, thank you for all the education because learning English helped me a lot to get this opportunity. I will never forget about you ever!!!...