At a young age, Miguel Vazquez fell in love with the sport of soccer, and he has turned that love into a college career.
Vazquez’s earliest memories of the game come from seeing his friends and family members immersed in it in his early days.
“I used to watch my friends and my older cousins play soccer,” Vazquez said, “and all the people who came from Mexico used to play pick-up games, and that motivated me to play, and I really loved it.”
Although he was born in Denver, Colorado, Vazquez’s family originated from Mexico, including his parents who moved to the United States before his birth. At around the age of five months, Vazquez and his family relocated to Vardaman, where his love for soccer bloomed. Now, after a strong soccer career at Vardaman High School, Vazquez has taken his talents to Meridian Community College.
Although he has fallen in love with the campus and made numerous friends in Meridian, the deciding factor for Vazquez in choosing MCC was the simple fact that they gave him an opportunity to play soccer at the next level.
“I really worked hard, and I really thought I could play at the next level,” Vazquez said. “I really didn’t get any offers, and I thought I should have more. I got invited to go to the tryouts [at MCC], and I really love the campus and the people that are there, but most of all, why I chose it was because they gave me the opportunity to play.”
At the tryouts, Vazquez found himself as one of the only players from a small school.
“It was scary because [there were] people I didn’t know,” Vazquez said, “and all those people were from 6A and 5A schools, and I was the only one from a 1A school.”
Speaking of 1A schools, Vardaman has found success in the early years of its soccer program, and Vazquez is proud of how quickly the Rams have found positive momentum.
“Right now, I think it’s going great,” Vazquez said. “People that didn’t know how to play soccer already know how to play soccer now, and I think the program is going in a positive way because it gives the kids some structure and something to do.”
As far as his career, Vazquez hopes his soccer days don’t end in Meridian.
“I would love to keep going,” Vazquez said. “I just want to go higher and higher, and I’m up for the challenge, and it’s really hard, but I want to keep playing.”
Vazquez is a testament that athletes from small schools can succeed at the next level, and he offered some advice to student athletes in the area hoping to further their careers after high school.
“It’s all about mentality,” Vazquez said. “The body is just the tool.”