1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:06,550 --> 00:00:10,170 So originally I was just like most 3 00:00:10,170 --> 00:00:13,240 american kids I was into football and 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,710 baseball but my dad had actually just 5 00:00:15,710 --> 00:00:18,970 gotten back from a trip to Wales and he 6 00:00:18,980 --> 00:00:21,202 saw that all the kids that were playing 7 00:00:21,202 --> 00:00:23,755 soccer and soccer just started becoming 8 00:00:23,755 --> 00:00:26,385 a new craze here in America and he put 9 00:00:26,385 --> 00:00:30,115 a ball at my feet and I was good 10 00:00:30,205 --> 00:00:32,565 and unlike how I was at football or 11 00:00:32,565 --> 00:00:34,745 baseball , it came to me naturally I 12 00:00:34,745 --> 00:00:36,912 was able to kick the ball further than 13 00:00:36,912 --> 00:00:39,415 other people . I was able to uh read 14 00:00:39,415 --> 00:00:42,325 the flight of the ball better and so I 15 00:00:42,325 --> 00:00:44,436 was good at it . So I kept doing it . 16 00:00:49,770 --> 00:00:52,180 So I found out about the Marine Corps 17 00:00:52,190 --> 00:00:54,390 soccer team while I was in Okinawa 18 00:00:54,390 --> 00:00:57,380 Japan to be honest with you the first 19 00:00:57,380 --> 00:00:59,269 time I heard about it , I kind of 20 00:00:59,269 --> 00:01:01,660 thought it was a joke , I had no idea 21 00:01:01,830 --> 00:01:04,790 and I thought it was something that 22 00:01:04,930 --> 00:01:07,790 only happens occasionally or you have 23 00:01:07,790 --> 00:01:11,370 to know somebody or some kind of closed 24 00:01:11,380 --> 00:01:13,230 off club . 25 00:01:16,660 --> 00:01:18,750 The competition for the all armed 26 00:01:18,750 --> 00:01:20,740 forces tournament and with the old 27 00:01:20,870 --> 00:01:23,610 soccer team specifically was probably 28 00:01:23,610 --> 00:01:27,040 the highest level of play that 29 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,150 I've been able to participate in since 30 00:01:30,150 --> 00:01:32,480 my time at Elizabethtown college , we 31 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,240 played in 2015 , we played against the 32 00:01:36,250 --> 00:01:38,083 club teams for the University of 33 00:01:38,083 --> 00:01:40,139 Arizona and Arizona State University 34 00:01:41,340 --> 00:01:44,070 and some of the players that we played 35 00:01:44,070 --> 00:01:46,780 against were outstanding . 36 00:01:49,460 --> 00:01:51,682 So I've talked to a couple of young men 37 00:01:51,682 --> 00:01:54,850 who for whatever reason the transition 38 00:01:54,850 --> 00:01:56,628 from high school to college was 39 00:01:56,628 --> 00:02:00,300 unrealistic due to payment problems or 40 00:02:00,310 --> 00:02:03,610 scholastic issues , things like that 41 00:02:03,620 --> 00:02:05,842 and I know that some of them are trying 42 00:02:05,842 --> 00:02:08,690 to pursue playing at a professional or 43 00:02:08,690 --> 00:02:10,523 semi professional level in other 44 00:02:10,523 --> 00:02:12,690 countries . In order to kind of bridge 45 00:02:12,690 --> 00:02:15,650 that gap , I will never tell somebody 46 00:02:15,650 --> 00:02:17,539 not to pursue their dream if they 47 00:02:17,539 --> 00:02:19,483 really , truly , in their heart of 48 00:02:19,483 --> 00:02:21,594 hearts believe that they can become a 49 00:02:21,594 --> 00:02:23,690 professional athlete , I'm not gonna 50 00:02:23,690 --> 00:02:26,290 tell you not to do that . So ultimately 51 00:02:26,290 --> 00:02:28,940 what I would have them do is considered 52 00:02:28,940 --> 00:02:31,490 this . The Marine Corps is a way for 53 00:02:31,490 --> 00:02:34,650 you to pursue excellence 54 00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:39,200 and play your sport and turn into that 55 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,760 man or woman that needs to be there for 56 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,871 the betterment of yourself , for your 57 00:02:43,871 --> 00:02:46,170 family and for those around you .