Dejan’s Soccer Experience with the New England Revolution

Dejan posing with Darrius from the New England RevolutionWe’re happy to share with you the below post by Dejan Pajevic who is a PYD Peer Leader and Mentee who participates in several PYD programs like Making Health Connections.

On a blue-sky August Wednesday I practiced soccer on one of the best fields of the best teams: The New England Revolution’s Gillette Stadium. (Of course there is another big team that shares the same field, but this post is about *the other* football.) PYD partnered with Spaulding Rehab, Mass General Hospital, and the New England Revolution to recruit young people for a soccer clinic with coaches and players of the world-renowned New England Revolution. It was so much fun.

I met five Revs players. Darrius Barnes in particular coached me, and I felt in awe as it was unbelievable to me finally meeting professional players. It was my first time meeting players of this caliber. I also made note that the players were from many corners of the US and the globe: Texas, South Carolina and South America for example.

Dejan doing a soccer drill, with Nicole acting as human guideAfter practicing together and completing drills like touches on the ball, a question and answer session ensued and I asked the question about the Revs loss last year to LA Galaxy. I asked what they learned from that loss and how they intend to come back stronger and prevail moving forward.

One goal I have of being active and writing this post is a message that I’d like to share with you: just because you are blind doesn’t mean you cannot play soccer. My good dribbling is proof of that.

Oh by the way, my PYD teammates on the field were Steve, Nicole, and Eli and I found out a fun fact that when Steve was a little boy he made the school’s soccer team.

From start to finish, the event was exciting. At the end, we each took a shot on goal, then got autographs from the players.

Thank you to all who made the event possible.

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