Patrick Caceres is a sophomore at Glendale High School, and he is currently a member of both our JV soccer team and our football team. He was born in Glendale, and he joined the GHS football and soccer teams during his freshman year.
Patrick is currently in his second year here in GHS, and in his free time, he loves watching soccer and football games, and he likes playing video games with his friends and his brother. He also enjoys playing Roblox with his girlfriend, as well as hanging out with her and his friends.
When did you first start having the love and passion for football and soccer?
At first, I didn’t have a passion for sports. I was doing taekwondo. I got my black belt and then didn’t want to do it anymore.
Oh, wow! That is very cool!
After I finished that, my mom put me in soccer, and I did it for a couple of years. And that’s when I started having a passion for playing soccer, and that was around seven years old.
That’s very nice to hear! How about football?
My passion for football came last year when watching my brother [Bryant Caceres] play for GHS as well.
How are you able to manage your time and other responsibilities while playing two sports at the same time?
I choose to do both of these sports, and I don’t think it’s a lot of work. You just have to be dedicated. So for me, it’s not a lot, because…the season before, it was more [like a] training, in a way.
How about school? How are you able to manage that?
The way I manage school and sports [is that] I choose to be a student-athlete, so I choose to do my school work first and then sports. And if I don’t finish my school work, I might [ask] the coach if I can take a day off, so I am able to focus on my school work, then continue my sports.
Do you ever feel discouraged, or feel like quitting, because it is all too much for you?
Sometimes I do feel like quitting, and it feels like too much pressure…being a student and an athlete
and staying fit all at the same time. So, yes, I have [felt like quitting] once or twice. But I also see that others are able to do it, and I know I can, too.
Is football or soccer harder for you?
For me, football is harder, because my position is kicker, and I have to use different techniques when kicking the ball. Because in soccer, there are multiple techniques, but in football, it is always the same. So it is challenging to change from soccer to football.
What is it that you like most about soccer?
What I like about soccer is the fact that my dad had the passion to play it and that I played with my dad and siblings. I grew [to have] a passion for it, and when I came to high school, I wanted to see what I [could] do.
What is it that you like best about football?
What I like about football is that, when it comes to the team, it feels like a brotherhood, not just a team. And I mostly joined because of my brother, because his passion grew on me, and I wanted to do the same for everyone as he did.
If you ever had to make the decision to choose one sport, which would you choose?
If I only had to choose [between] soccer or football, I would choose football, even though I am better at soccer. But [in] football, there’s more energy and passion, and a better community, and you are able to get to know more people. So I would choose football, because of the community.
If you are interested in joining the Nitro football team and becoming a part of their community, please contact Coach Manuel Lemus at [email protected]. If you are interested in joining our GHS boys soccer team, please contact Coach Brandon Weisman at [email protected].
