Barcelona is Calling! Again !!!

Hi, It's me again, Michael. As you know, I am the goalkeeper for Barca Academy U 13 Blau team in Chicago. Barca Academy is a feeder club for FC Barcelona, Spain.

In April, I was invited to the Barca World Cup tournament in Barcelona, Spain. The tournament was between all Barca Academies from around the world 39 countries were represented, and roughly 1500 players. The tournament went very well; we won our first international match against the home team Barca Cataluya, Barcelona, Spain, 4:3. We ranked 25th out of 43 teams. Game-winning save was selected as one of the BEST saves of the tournament. Not bad for the first time playing internationally!

When we returned from Spain, we were undefeated in our spring season and won the league. Our club has moved up to the next level in our division. Over the summer, we trained with Barcelona coaches who came here for summer camps, and some of us hosted them in our homes, making new friends for a lifetime; I know I did.

We played a few tournaments, one in Waukegan in June, where we took second place and another in September in Palatine, the Celtic tournament, where we took second place as well. These successes did not go unnoticed; our team was invited to the National Premier League (NPL), which is a tremendous honor to be invited since the team is nationally recognized and ranked.

All this does NOT happen without a lot of hard work, mud, sweat and training. We practice as a team three times a week for two hours at a time. I have specialized goalie practice four times a week for at least an hour and a half each time. Then show time; we have one or two matches over the weekend for the Barca Blau team in the Young Sportsman Soccer League (YSSL) and NPL on Monday nights. Have I mentioned that I am a 7th grader and a full-time student? I have straight A's. I take extra language classes in my school: German and Spanish. Also, I am polishing my Polish since it is my native language, and I would love to impress Robert Lewandowski if I see him at training in Barcelona, a new striker at FC Barcelona Club who was just signed and he is Polish.

Let me tell you how I got here and why I am sharing my past, my present, high hopes and dreams with you. Getting here was not a picnic; I have worked very hard to even walk without a limp. Yes, you have heard me correctly. Let me take you back in time, a year or maybe even two years...

I have been playing soccer for most of my life. I enjoy playing soccer and spend most of my free time training. My soccer life started by getting a little red leather soccer ball at age two. At age of four, I started playing in a local team Barrington Area Soccer Association (known locally as BASA), then Alliance, followed by Guepard Football Club. I had great success and enjoyed my time playing with these teams. I wanted to be like Ronaldo, always imagining how it would feel to play like him and be like him. I started out as a striker; scoring goals was my thing; I trained hard and practiced for hours per day, shooting goals and perfecting my aim; I was excellent; I could put a ball where ever and when I wanted to.

One faithful day, I broke my arm playing indoor soccer season. It was the first time I had broken something. It hurt a lot, but I took it in stride and got better. I felt like a free bird after the cast came off. I enjoyed the spring and fall seasons without a cast.

Winter of 2020/2021 came, and Covid was still here, so we needed to keep our distance and stay away from people in the true spirit of an athlete; I decided to expand my horizons with winter sports. In January of '21, what could be better than a version of soccer outside and in the fresh air - hockey was the answer, but first, I needed to learn how to skate. Perfect undertaking for winter months to keep occupied, exercising and learning. What could go wrong???

On my second lesson of skating with my sister and her fiancé, who is a hockey player, I was in good hands and ready to take on the ice... as soon as I got a hockey stick in my hands, I let go after a few strides my skate caught the ice and I fell. I could not get up; my leg was screaming in pain !!! My dad looked at my leg and said it was time to go to E.R. Well, I broke my leg where my hockey boot ended, and it turned out it was not so simple since the break went through my growth plate and part of the bone had separated. That meant surgery. A screw had to be put in to hold my bones together and a pin to keep a track of my growth. It was the scariest undertaking in my whole life to go under the knife. I howled in pain for two weeks afterward; I was on bed rest for two months and then on a cast and crutches.

I thought, when my cast is taken off, I will run out of my orthopedics' office and be done with this nightmare. Not so fast !!! I could not walk!!! I still needed crutches, and weeks of physical therapy were ahead of me. I cried in PAIN when I was trying to get back on my feet and just walk. Forget about running, and God no, I am never playing any sport again! As therapy progressed, I started to feel stronger. My parents decided that it would be a great encouragement to help with my mental state at the time and to have a goal in mind for my therapy. They signed me up for a summer camp with Barcelona Academy that summer. Also, they have invited coaches to stay with us, so I can make new friends and be encouraged to move around and not be afraid to play again. That summer truly changed my life!!!

I decided to play goalie at the camp since I was also trained in that position, but I never really committed to it. All my soccer training and love for the game comes from my father, who is my personal trainer, an ex-pro goalie himself. It was the perfect place for me, not too much running, not constant contact, and yet I could show off my skills. It felt right. I played my heart out at the camp to show my new friends and coaches that I could do it!!!

After the camp, I was scouted by Barca to come and play for them as a goalkeeper; what an honor! Barca Academy has two teams: Elite Blau/Blue team and second developmental team, Grana. In my first season with Barca, I played on both teams.

In November 2021, Barca Academy U12 traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to play in the Columbus Fall Classic. I helped my team get to the finals and came up short by one goal on penalty kicks to take first place. We took second place. My team played magnificently, and I'm glad I could contribute to the effort. After the first season, I was selected as the Academy Elite Blau/Blue U12 starting goalkeeper and helped my team achieve first place in the blue division of the Northern Illinois Soccer League. We were undefeated for the season. We have moved up in the league to the next level!!!

We participated in an eight-week tournament at the Quad Sports Center in Evanston, Illinois. Barca Academy Blau team U12 took second place. What a difference a year makes !!!

After all my hard work in training and playing my heart out at the new position, I was selected to represent Barca Academy Chicago at the FC Barcelona World Cup in Spain this spring. This event was watched not only by FC Barcelona but many other soccer clubs from all over Europe.

There was a special training session conducted by FC Barcelona coaches and players (my heroes), friendly warm-up games before the tournament, and a full tournament against Barca Academy teams from all over the world. You know the rest already.... Who says the hard work does not pay off !!!

The season and tournaments went so well that I was selected to come back to Barcelona in November for further training at the main club. Hopefully, this will lead to further evaluation that may lead to my acceptance to the Barcelona Academy in Spain. This would be the next step in achieving my dream of becoming a professional goalkeeper with FC Barcelona. The road to becoming a professional goalkeeper is long, and the opportunities are few and far between. At this point in time, I am considered one of the best goalkeepers in my age group in the country. I am so excited about this opportunity because it is helping me get closer to my dream.

This trip begins November 19-29, 2022. I am asking for your help and generosity to help make this dream come true. Due to Covid and its impact on all of us, our current economic state, it is so hard to be so selfish when money is tight ... and keep asking my parents to foot the bill for all of it. This would be an absolute miracle if we could make this happen. I am asking for a little help to make this dream possible. If I could ask for your help with this endeavor so I can get my travel plans in order. Your generosity will help offset the costs of my trip, training, flight, and gear.

As you can understand, time is of the essence; like everything else in life, there is an opportunity that might not happen again. All your help is greatly appreciated, and let me say Thank You in advance!!!

I promise to share this adventure with you on the YouTube link Michael das wall Szymel n1 (https://youtube.com/channel/UClti5oQO48Of_uKgYWRu6-A). You can see some of my current videos, and I will be keeping a video diary of the entire trip and will share my experience with you.

Thank You and God Bless!!!

Michael Nathan Szymel