Kevin de Bruyne

A portrait of Kevin de Bruyne (https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_De_Bruyne ())

Goals on goals. Amazing assists. Tremendous teamwork. Kevin de Bruyne does this all on the soccer field. It was back in 2012 when I saw Kevin de Bruyne play during his time at German club, Werder Bremen. He caught my eye as he was energetic and flowed passes on the soccer field. His style of play reminded me of how I played. It was then I began to appreciate and come to like Kevin de Bruyne. As a high school student, I have come to notice the values of Kevin and apply them to my high school life. Seeing him as a very humble player, I have decided not to take outward pride in my life in the midst of a school setting where attention is satisfying. Freshman year, I had been able to make the soccer varsity team at my high school and I look up to Kevin de Bruyne as I keep on trying to soar my soccer abilities as I become a high level player.

Kevin de Bruyne in action kicking a soccer ball. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3L1pbEnF8o ())

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook website, professional athletes are high level sport players that perform either individually or on a team to amuse viewers. For the highest professional sports, no education is required however exceptional athletic abilities are needed to make a professional team. Though playing in a high level sport requires no education, if players are planning on playing in college (NCAA), colleges typically have academic standards the player must meet in order to play at the college. Professional athletes in the U.S. typically make about 45,000 dollars per year. Job competition has been very high, and it is projected to remain high for the coming decades. Luckily for some, employment will increase 6% by 2024. People who are not able to become a professional sports competitor also have opportunities to become coaches, doctors, and physicians for professional sport teams. As business and excitement continues to grow for sports (soccer especially), competition for sport teams is on the rise.

In a video uploaded by Presa Media on YouTube, Kevin de Bruyne is seen as a young adolescent playing soccer. The video was taken back in 2001, when he was 9 years old. Already then, he had begun playing soccer with other boys 2 years older them him. Moreover, he had started going to other countries to play soccer as seen in the video where he was playing in a tournament taking place in France. At a young age, he was ruthless to win the ball, determined to get past defenders, and skillful enough to dribble through multiple players and score with a goalkeeper. As shown in the video, he had many successes as a child as he had won multiple awards many of them being trophies. He was exposed to winning, an incentive that was needed to carry him through his career as a professional. According to the Daily Mail, Kevin de Bruyne had been a very dedicated scholar outside of the soccer world. In middle he had a perfect attendance; arriving to school early every day in effort to win soccer tickets (awarded to children with perfect attendance). In matter fact, the first time he reached national media was for his perfect attendance, not for soccer purposes. Furthermore, at a young age he went to say," it's really annoying when students come into the class late. It disrupts your concentration." Six month later on May 9th 2009, he made his professional soccer debut for Belgian club Genk at a mere 16 years old.

Kevin de Bruyne as a young boy. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Debruyne62 ())

Kevin de Bruyne is role model off the soccer field as well. In January 2016, Kevin fulfilled a young child's wish. Michael Hollyhead, an 11-year old diagnosed with a brain tumor, had wished to meet Kevin de Bruyne. Through the children's charity Rays of Sunshine, Michael was able to meet Kevin de Bruyne at Manchester City facilities. According from the Manchester City website, Michael said," Today has been absolutely brilliant, Kevin is such a great footballer and I was really excited to meet him."

Reflecting on Kevin de Bruyne's life has made me consider to adding to my personal goals to stimulate success of that of Kevin de Bruyne. Currently, I am on my high school's soccer varsity team as a freshman and I have many ambitions. By senior year, I plan on winning the Division I CIF Championships as a leader and major contributor to my team. Outside of school on my club soccer team, I have the opportunity to compete at the US Youth Soccer National Championships which awards the winner as the best team in the entire country. As in high school, I am considering winning the national championships to become the best in the country. Going into college I am still undecided whether or not I will continue soccer as I feel I want to be focused strictly on academics. Looking far into the future when I become an adult I plan on being successful whether or not I will be famous or not. Ultimately, I want to inherit Kevin de Bruyne's values of humbleness, success, and reputation into my life.