ASA is participating in the Men’s CCL Pro23 League over the summer. The Pro23 League is offered by CCL as a way to give a competitive training and game environment to U16-U23* players during the summer. The goal is also for players who have recently graduated or are home for the summer to have the opportunity to stay involved with their clubs.
*There are a handful of roster spots open to players over 23 years old.
Each week this summer we’ll be highlighting a different Pro23 player to share his background and soccer pathway. This week we’d like to introduce Dylan Albarracin, ASA 2002 player, and one of the youngest members of the team.
How did you get involved with ASA’s Pro23 CCL team?
I’ve played for Coach Will before (in the Futsal ID program) so he reached out to see if I was interested in joining the team. I’m thankful that the coaches gave me this opportunity to be on the team and to grow as a player.
Tell us a little bit about your playing background.
I started off playing for Annandale. I’ve been playing for Alexandria Soccer for about 4 years now and it’s definitely been the best team I’ve played for. I’m only in my second year of high school and playing on the high school team is also fun experience. I’ve always played in my backyard, either with my cousins who live near by or by myself because I always want to get better.
Has there been an experience that really stands out to you as a moment where you knew you wanted to continue your soccer career?
Not really, my family has always been a soccer family, they’ve been playing since they were little and I just inherited love that I guess. I was born loving soccer and I will die loving soccer.
What do you hope to get out of your Pro23 CCL experience?
I just hope to get better and improve. I will be playing with guys older than me so I know that they will help me and push me to get better. I also hope to win a championship, it would be nice to lift a trophy in an ASA jersey.
Is there any advice you could give to your younger self?
Well I’m still in high school so I guess my advice to myself would be to just always give everything you’ve got—nothing is given so trying your best is a must.
And finally — what are one or two of your favorite qualities that you look for in a teammate?
One quality I would like to see in my teammates is the will to get better. If you’re serious about soccer then you have to work hard every day—it’s ok to fail but it’s how you react that really shows the personality of that person.
Thank you Dylan! Great work in the first two games. We’re looking forward to watching you play and grow throughout the rest of the summer.
