Sebastien Ibeagha: The Love Of The Game
Two decades of playing soccer and one thing stands true: I love this sport.
The rush of competing never gets old. Even through ups and downs, hard trainings, and travels around the world, my love for soccer has never once wavered.
It is rare to find something that you know you are meant to do. But, soccer has always been that for me.
Growing up in Nigeria, playing soccer was everything. I don’t remember a time where I was not playing. It was simply something that was second nature to me. That instinct of playing the sport I love, has taken me all around the world. From moving to Oklahoma when I was nine, traveling to Texas weekly for games, to North Carolina where I spent four years at Duke, to Denmark, to Iceland, and all around the United States.
When I moved to Oklahoma, I joined a local club team as soon as I could. As I got older, my drive to play continued to grow. That turned into me playing at a club with the Dallas Texans. I would drive back and forth between Oklahoma and Dallas on weekends for tournaments. Eventually, I moved to Houston to join a club team there. I played with that team for about a year before the Houston Dynamo Academy started where I finished out playing my highschool years.
Those years of driving back and forth.
Hours in the car.
Losing weekends with friends.
It all showcased my commitment to soccer.
How much I was willing to dedicate because of the love of the sport that had been fostered from a young age.
The academy experience really benefited my career. As a player, I got to be around other players who are just as good and competitive allowed me to grow. I got opportunities to play with the first team at just 16 years old. Being in that environment made me push myself harder mentally. I knew that I wanted to go on to play professional soccer.
That experience made me understand what is necessary to become a pro. I learned the dedication and what truly goes into it. How hard you have to work. Training on even the hard days. Those little things that you learn all add up to showcase what it really takes to become a professional.
I took those skills with me as I went on to play at Duke. My journey there was fairly easy plus, I had the bonus of getting to play a year with my older brother. College soccer posed a new challenge with not only how many games we were playing weekly, but also balancing school and playing. I wanted to be on the field whenever I could be, but I also needed to study hard if I wanted to see that time.
Those frustrations and hard moments of balance only further proved how much I loved the game. I did everything I could to be on that field.
That drive led me to signing a professional contract with a team in Denmark right out of college. I was a good player physically and had the athleticism on my side, but I wanted to make my technical side better. I ended up signing in Denmark for two years before moving to Iceland for about half a year.
In order to push yourself and develop to become better. It's great to put yourself in a place where you might struggle a little bit, but at the same time you're learning new things and then eventually you'll grow.
When I came back to the U.S., I landed in Houston. It was in the off season but I was able to get in and train with the team. I always wanted to take every opportunity I could to learn. The year I was with Houston was one of the more challenging in my career, but I took every moment in stride.
There were moments that year where soccer started to feel like a job so I did everything I could to limit that. I forged a lot of friendships with teammates and focused on off the field stuff. I enjoyed every moment of training because at the end of the day once you lose your love or the, or the fun part about whatever you do, it could be a hobby.
For me it was like getting in that right space to where I was still excited every day to go to training. I was happy to train, even though I knew I probably wasn't gonna be in the roster on the weekend.
That year allowed me to understand my role which alleviated the stress of being bounced around. I was sent to their second team before then being sent to a team in Oklahoma City. Being back in Oklahoma was cool because it brought me back to the beginning where I fostered that love for soccer.
After that year I made my way to San Antonio FC for a year before New York City FC called me up to the MLS. I spent three and a half years at NYCFC, winning an MLS Cup in one of those. During my time there, there were three coaches in three years which shook things up but allowed for new systems to be learned.
I was then traded to Los Angeles FC, spent a year and another MLS Cup there before finally making my way to Dallas FC. Being back in Dallas is like another full circle opportunity. It is always important to remember where things started, where the love for soccer began.
Bouncing around has provided a unique set of challenges but that comes as part of the game. The uncertainty of not knowing if my contract will get renewed or if I will see time on the field has never once outweighed the love I have for the sport.
Every time I lace up my boots I am grateful to have another day on the field.
Every time I step onto the field, whether training or a game, I give it my all.
I have had the unique experience of seeing the world through the lens of soccer. That constant learning and experiencing has kept soccer fresh all the years later. Each time I play, I feel the childlike joy that came when I was little.
I never take any moment for granted. Each and every day, I am lucky to still play this game I love.
Being all in at a young age allowed me to develop.
It allowed me to learn.
It allowed me to listen.
It allowed me to always foster my love of the game.
