Watching his older brother and friends playing at the park is how Xavier Escareno discovered soccer. They were too big, and he was too young but that did not matter. Xavier played with them, finding out he was surprisingly good. From there, he never stopped playing.
This Daniel Webster High School senior is passionate about soccer. “I really want to go far with this sport. It’s something I’ve always wanted as a kid. I just want more, and I know I can get more,” he says.
Xavier proudly represents DWHS as a student athlete. “We go through hard matches, but we know as a team we can improve. We try to do better for ourselves as a team and we always try to keep our heads up even after a tough game. I love just being able to have fun with them and create moments that I’ll keep with me forever,” he said.
Argentine footballer, Lionel Messi, has inspired Xavier since childhood. “He never lets the hate and money get to his head. He loves the sport, and he is more passionate about playing the game than getting paid to play it. I was just amazed at how good he was on the ball. I was small and I saw that Messi was also short compared to the other players. I would always tell myself that if Messi can do it I can too,” says Xavier.
Xavier gives a shoutout to his teammates. “Emmanuel Perez, Chanyee Lo, and Jose Zermeno bring out the fun in me. They always make me do more and try harder to play. I also want to shoutout to my first ever club, Mineros, for giving me the chance to play for them and actually believing in me to play alongside them. Lastly, my girlfriend for always helping me when times are rough. When I feel like nothing is enough, she always makes me see the bright side and never lets me get down,” he says.
The best advice Xavier says is to “never let anyone know when you’re tired because if they do find out they’ll never stop punishing you for it.”
