I was born in Los Angeles, California on May 16, 1995. I was raised in Inglewood and it is a city of trouble and gangs. I grew up knowing a few members of those gangs. I never got involved thanks to my beautiful family that kept me out of trouble. Being the first boy in my family after the birth of my two wonderful older sisters, I was also the first introduced to futbol by my father J. Socorro Navarro Martinez at the age of four years old. When I was beginning to start my youth futbol era, my parents decided to have my younger brother, adding another futbol player to the family. Thanks to my father and my gorgeous mother Maria Navarro, I grew up having an amazing family. Without my grandma, I probably wouldn’t be here because she helped my parents raise my sisters, my brother and I. Both of my sisters always cared for me and were always there for me no matter what. My little brother Richie even now helps me keep going and working hard. When we were younger we fought many times, but at the end of the day we love each other. He treats me like his role model and I work hard to never disappoint him. I could go on and on about my family because they mean the world to me and they are my support system. I want to use futbol, the love of my life, to make them proud.
The hardest part of coming to the academy was leaving my family. Not seeing them everyday has been hard, but has made me a much stronger person. The coaches are all great coaches, especially Coach Freddy. He always reminds me to stay humble and to keep my feet on the ground, which my teammates and I also like to call “tough love”. No matter how well I play, Coach Freddy always has a way to make me a better player on the field and a better person off the field.
My teammates are the best friends I have ever had. They make me stronger and smarter on and off the field and they make futbol so much more fun. Our motto, “As One”, is very big in the academy because we are a family and fight for each other. I would go to war with any of my teammates because I know they would fight for me till the end, the same way I would fight for them till the end.
I’ve grown up dreaming of one day playing with Real Madrid. I know that is a big dream, but how my mother use to tell me “no cuesta soñar” or in other words, it doesn’t cost to dream. My goals are to play professionally and also to go to college. To reach my goals, I have to focus on school and on my team, Real Salt Lake – Arizona. With hard work and the help of my team and family I know I will reach my dreams. This year I want to help my team win Nationals. Last year we received third place, but this year we are going to take first!