Jessi Vasquez has been playing soccer since he was 6 years old and has been his passion ever since. He is a left winger for the Old Westbury Panthers, and he is so passionate about soccer because it’s an escape for him. When he plays soccer, everything else is irrelevant to him.“Even at such a young age I found myself to be passionate while watching soccer, that I eventually took up the sport and was even passionate about that,” he said. “Soccer provided me the escape that I needed and wanted from actual reality.”
Growing up he kept up his love of the sport because of his friends. He continued to take the game more seriously as he grew older and it became one of his favorite pastimes.
Jessi attended Lawrence High School before attending OW and it was a whole different experience for him. He was on a team with all of his friends which motivated him more and made it extremely fun for all of them. He got to experience something he never experienced before in his life at the time, and it was extraordinary.
Much to his surprise, he made the varsity team freshman year of high school. That was when he knew he had to take it more seriously since he was now a full fledged player. “Making varsity was an experience that I never thought could happen. I knew I was good at soccer but to be good enough to represent the school playing this sport was a big accomplishment at the time,” he said.
At that moment he knew he had to push himself to limits that he didn’t even know he could go. “I kept playing soccer because of how fun it is and how much passion I have for this sport. Soccer will always be a part of my life. No matter where I am in the world, I will never stop playing soccer,” Jessi stated.
It is clear to see where Jessi’s love for soccer came from and how it has affected his life, both on and off the field. A lesson to take away from Jess is that to find something that we are passionate about and stick with it.
