Have you ever felt that you were destined to do something bigger, but don’t know how to get there? About four months ago I was working at a soccer shop in Salt Lake City, Utah playing soccer in a men’s league feeling exactly that way. I knew I was supposed to be playing at the next level. However, I hadn’t taken the usual steps to make it there. I was at a point were I was about to give up on my dream of playing in the MLS.
I am now living in Los Angeles playing with some of the best players in the US under a coach who had received the coach of the year award the previous year. I had made it with Chivas USA. I had taken an unlikely path to making it to the MLS. A path that not too many take.
Most would agree that in order to make it to the MLS you have to play for an elite club team, play ODP, and then play for a division 1 college program. This is how I thought it worked so when I looked at my soccer path I thought there was no chance of me making it. I hadn’t played for an elite club team. I had actually played for an independent team in Utah that wore t-shirts for jerseys from u-16 to u-18. It was just a group of talented guys that loved to play soccer. The team didn’t travel to any major tournaments. Many of the kids couldn’t afford it and the team didn’t get any recognition from those types of tournaments. There was no chance of me getting seen by any colleges. I had done my best coming out of high school to send tapes of my self to colleges I was interested in. Not one school was willing to give me a chance. I was turned down one by one and it ended up being at least 10 different schools, but felt like more.
I decided to stay in Salt Lake and play for the club team at Salt Lake Community college. It was the only option I had if I wanted to continue playing soccer. At this point I had come to the realization that my dream might not come true. What MLS team is going to pick up a kid that only had the experience of playing on a club team at a junior college?
For the next three years (from 2005-2007) I played with the college club team in the fall, played indoor at a local place in the winter, and in the spring played for a local men’s league team. During this time I tried multiple times to get in with Real Salt Lake. I knew I would be able to play at that level and all I wanted was to be given a chance. Unfortunately I was never given that chance.
In fall of 2007 when it came time to transfer to a University, I tried once again to play for a division 1 program and saw exactly the same results as the first time. Coaches weren’t willing to take a risk with me. They all felt I didn’t have what it takes to play at that level.
It was after these second set of rejections that I had accepted the fact that my dream since the age of four wasn’t going to become a reality. I ended up transferring to the University of Utah where there was no school team, so I had no chance of playing. I would focus on obtaining a degree in finance while continuing to play with the men’s league team two or three times a week. I was just trying to have fun with soccer at this point and that’s when I began playing with the Utah state select team.
In January of 2008 (at the age of 20) I traveled with the State team to play in the George F. Donnely cup tournament. The tournament was being hosted at the practice fields around the Home Depot Center and I knew this was going to be my last competitive soccer competition I was going to play in. Or so I thought.
Little did I know the opportunity of a lifetime was about to present itself. After the last game of the tournament I was approached by a man who introduced himself as Preki, head coach of Chivas USA. At this moment I was in shock. Is this really happening to me? I spent the next couple minutes talking with him and in the end he offered me a chance to come into pre-season camp to have a trial. I was finally going to be given my chance.
I dropped all of my classes at the University, packed up some clothes and was off to LA, all in the span of two weeks. I was about to start a new journey in life and I went into pr-season not knowing what to expect. I was just going to work hard every day and try to prove myself to the coaching staff.
Two weeks into pre-season I was called into Preki’s office where he offered me a developmental contract. My dream had come true. I had made it.
The season is now seven weeks in and I have played in all but one game, starting two of them. One of those starts came against the LA Galaxy in the Super Classico where I was playing in front of 30,000 screaming fans. I was also lucky enough to score my first career goal last weekend against New England.
Four months ago I was playing in front of no one in a men’s league in Salt Lake City and fields where you took your dog for a walk.
Now my goal is to continue playing and improving everyday. I have been given this opportunity and am going to do all I can to make the best of it
Justin Braun
Image via Chivas-USA.Blogspot.com
