Like much of my identity, my love for soccer (fútbol) was sparked by my brother. In 2008, when we were living in India, he stayed up until 3 am to watch Manchester United FC win the Champions League. Somewhere deep in my sleep, I became a fan too. On my first day of summer camp in 2011, I wore the legendary Man United forward Wayne Rooney’s jersey. I scored a hat-trick, and so “Rooney” became my nickname for the next six Julys.
I moved to DC in 2017, and to my excitement, Rooney transferred to DC United the year after. My first outing to a game was in the supporters’ section with my fellow Man United fan Jonathon. While singing Spanish chants that we barely understood and being soaked by beer whenever they scored, I realized that soccer could be more than something I watch on a screen.
A few months after starting full-time work in DC, my friend Jeremy messaged me about a recreational team he was putting together with his colleague Danny through Volo Sports. The team name was “The Washington Fútbol Team” (a riff of the Washington Commanders’ interim name). I hadn’t played soccer since my “Rooney” days, but I was so excited that I immediately went shopping for a new pair of cleats. I was (surprisingly) devastated when I missed the first two games because of COVID. When I finally got to play, even though we lost, I couldn’t stop smiling.
As losses kept coming, the smile slowly went away. Turns out, DC is full of some really talented casual players (myself not included). I love my team, but most of us had not been college athletes. Despite some horrific scorelines, we stuck with it. Though we would probably lose, I would move any plans around to make a game.
Between seasons, we played pickup to practice how to act as a team, learning each others’ strengths, how to manage our weaknesses, and how to make life easier for our amazing goalkeepers Manisha and Olivia. I started passing intentionally, moving into open spaces instead of blindly waiting for the ball, and slowly became more willing to take my shot.
Losses turned to draws, and draws turned to wins. I began scoring once again, celebrating like that kid with a hat-trick a decade ago. In August, we were even at the top of the league table. But after joining an even more competitive league, the cycle restarted.
For scheduling purposes, I became the team captain. At first, it was a purely logistical role, but I slowly grew into it. I started leading formation discussions before games, asking during halftime how everyone thought we could improve, giving more (unsolicited) advice from the sidelines, and organizing brunches after games. I was far from our best player, but I tried to bring our strengths together. Though, it felt even more like my fault when we lost.
Soccer continues to help me find my favorite kinds of community. Along with Volo Sports, I organized an office World Cup tournament in November, and almost a hundred colleagues of every age came to play. I keep dragging friends with me to the Man United bar (Solace Outpost) to watch games. More recently, I started volunteering as a referee for DC SCORES, a non-profit affiliated with DC United that helps teach youth skills through both soccer and poetry. The sport can get frustrating, but as I stand and watch the kids play, I remember the sheer happiness it brings me.
Last month, after a series of losses, our team won a game. I scored both goals. And then we won another. As a season celebration, I organized a team outing to a DC United match, cheering on the new Coach Rooney in a hard-fought 1-1 draw to Nashville.
This past week was my last as team captain. I might be out of DC for a while (more on this later), so I’ve passed the captaincy back to Danny. Even though we lost the game in a close fight with the former champions, I smiled the entire time.
By no means am I a great athlete. But soccer makes me feel like the most true version of myself. The passionate fan. The eager player. The motivational captain. The caring referee. The supportive teammate.
Here’s to all the teams that I’ve been a part of. And here’s to Man United hopefully stopping Man City’s treble next weekend.