Anything involving the LGBTQ+ community was viewed as abnormal and wrong. Growing up in a Catholic household and Catholic education systems in Northeast Ohio, it was ingrained in me that any feelings or emotions for another man past a normal friend level were sinful. It took me until my high school years to begin to understand I was different than most boys my age.
SHELF CLOUD COMING IN OFF LAKE ERIE FREE
Andrew Bucur makes a play for the ball.Īlthough my love and passion for soccer was genuine, it was easy for me to commit so heavily to the athlete lifestyle because it did not allow me a lot of free time to think about my internal conflicts. I also was able to earn a spot on the Olympic Development Program teams along with participating in college showcases, which ultimately resulted in earning an athletic scholarship to play at the collegiate level. I was fortunate enough to win four different state cup championships with this team. Soccer became my ultimate passion early on, and I am extremely thankful for the sacrifices my parents made that allowed me to play on the top club team in Ohio. If you asked anyone who I grew up with what I loved to do the most, I can assure you every answer would have been “play soccer.” I was involved in organized sports from a very young age, but I picked up soccer much quicker than baseball and basketball. I thought a lot about the life I was living, and how it was always on the terms of others, but never my own. Over the next eight months before I was able to play again, I spent an abundance of time on my couch, often letting my thoughts wander. But what made me even more nervous was having my safety net of soccer stripped away.
In the weeks ahead, I faced major surgery and an intensive rehabilitation program. Just like that, I had torn my ACL and meniscus. When I came down to plant on my right foot, my body moved one way and my knee another. During the spring season of my freshman year I attempted a more acrobatic soccer move, stretching my leg about head height to block a cross.
Soccer served as a much-needed outlet and escape from grappling with my sexuality.Įarning a starting center midfield position my freshman year at Lake Erie College in Ohio was an extremely proud moment.
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