Passion and the Pursuit of Success:

Following our dreams and passions is something that is taught to us at very a young age. We are taught that through hard work and dedication there isn’t anything we can’t do.

Sure, it is easy to dream, but going forward with the work that it takes to follow that dream is a whole different story.

When people look at grass-roots success stories, they tend to look at the people who made it big. For some the best stories of hard work are those that show the change from the zero to the 100.

Athletes are some of the most successful people in the entertainment industry around the world. And their stories are some of the most captivating, because they inspire people to believe that anyone can achieve their success.

But they do not turn a blind eye to the challenges that they faced or the sacrifices that they made when pursuing their dreams. For there is no success without failure, and without failure there is no growth. This is also true for athletes in semi-professional leagues well, like those of the Potros FC .

Samuel Valdivia:

Samuel Valdivia is a 26-year-old Potros FC midfielder who began playing competitive soccer as well as street soccer at the age of five in Guadalajara, Mexico. Samuel and his family immigrated to the United States when he was just eight-years-old.

As he grew up he was sponsored player at his local club formally known as CGSA. He went through their academy and select teams before eventually joining Sacred Heart United. Which was a team that ended up the #3 team in state and #9 in the nation.

Samuel’s youth and early teenage experience prepared him to play on the varsity soccer team through his high school years, and even had him set up with potential scholarships.

Scholarships, that he had to turn down for work in order to feed himself and help out his mother. This was a sacrifice that he had to make early on in his life, but one that was necessary to help out his family.

Samuel however, did not set aside his aspirations to play soccer, he later continued to play in local and indoor leagues to stay in shape.

“I’ve loved the game naturally since I was young, soccer is the only thing that’s been 100% faithful to me in life,” said Valdivia. “Nothing else matters while I’m training or playing a game. It’s like I’m a kid again with zero adult responsibilities.”

Samuel currently works a full-time day job while also balancing two seasonal companies that he started, but is currently prioritizing playing for Potros FC because he is seeking another shot at playing at the professional level.

“I had been offered a trial with a team in Malta, but I could not take the offer due to my visa issues at the time,” said Valdivia.

Samuel’s love and dedication for soccer has led him to continue to make sacrifices till this day. In fact, he is the only one on the team that has two to three-hour commute to practices and matches. Meaning that a round trip averages out anywhere from 5-6 hours of travel time a day. Not to mention the 90+ minutes a match actually lasts or the two hours of practice that the team has on a given day.

He admits that aside from driving back and forth for so long, the greatest sacrifice he’s had to make is being away from home and his loved ones so much.

“I’ve missed so many birthdays, holidays, evenings out with friends or family just to put the work in,” said Valdivia. “A lot of people turned their back on me because they didn’t feel like I was prioritizing them, but it’s a sacrifice I must live with in order to bring my ultimate goal to life, of playing professionally. Some have mentioned to me that my focus and drive towards something I’m passionate about is like a scary obsession, and I couldn’t agree more.”

Ultimately, Samuel enjoys being a part of Potros FC despite the time he spends away from his home and loved ones. He states that he likes that it’s a newer team, and that anyone can go join a good winning-streak team and just be another player, but that it takes great leadership, patience, experience and guidance to be able to being a new team up from scratch.

“Those are the challenges I live for,” said Valdivia. “I’ve been a natural-born leader all of my life and I don’t plan on stopping. I enjoy being a part of Potros FC and guiding some of the younger players on the team and overall helping the club grow to match the Uranga family’s vision.”

Augusto “Bebol” Del Rio:

Augusto Del Rio is a 19-year-old Potros FC midfielder from Cartagena, Colombia. Augusto says that he’s been playing soccer since he can remember, and can even affirm that he was probably born holding a soccer ball.

“I’ve been playing soccer as far back as I can remember,” said Del Rio. “I was probably 2-years-old when I first remember playing the most beautiful sport in the world.”

Augusto’s early soccer development came through playing for his school back in Colombia, and then later transferred to playing for two different academies Cyclones and Crespo. His experience in those two academies were short-lived, and states that most of his development came from playing in his school’s team for championships against other schools.

Augusto took a leap of faith at an early age by moving out of his family’s home at 17-years-old and immigrating to the United States on his own. He left his parents, sisters, and friends behind in Colombia and came to live with his uncle who was the only relative he had in the United States.

“It was really hard for me to leave Colombia,” said Del Rio. “I wasn’t just leaving my home country I was leaving my parents, my sisters, and my friends behind to come to a new country where there is a different culture and different people. There is something really gratifying about having family to go and hug after games, but that is something that I don’t have here.”

Being away from his family isn’t the only thing that Augusto had to sacrifice, but learning a new way of life as well.

One of the greatest challenges for Augusto was coming to the United States and working. He mentioned that he was lucky that his parents did well-enough in Colombia to where he didn’t have to work, and that having to work here was something he really struggled with. Especially since he couldn’t dedicate as much time to soccer as he wanted to.

“Ever since I got to the United States at 17-years-old, I’ve had to work for what I have,” said Del Rio. “I’ve had to work for the food I eat, the clothes I wear, and the stuff that I want. It’s been hard for me not just working as much as I do, but also because working takes away the time that I would like to or would’ve liked to dedicate to playing soccer.”

Augusto works at a Mexican Restaurant called Luna Maya as a bartender-server. He states that he works most of the week, including days that Potros FC has practices. He mentions that getting used to the work-play schedule has been one of the hardest things he’s had to do.

“I work pretty much the entire week, even on the days that we have practices,” said Del Rio. “But I’ve come to manage and push forward through getting used to this lifestyle. My job is about 25-30 minutes from where I live and most of the matches are about an hour away, so about 30% of my money goes towards gas for my car.”

The adjustments that Augusto has had to make in his life in order to care for himself and follow his passion have also forced him to often times turn down going out with his friends.

“There have been many times where I’ve had to deny an invitation to go out with friends, whether it be because I have a match the next day or because I have a practice later on,” said Del Rio. “I don’t want to have to sacrifice my chance at my passion which is playing soccer, as my dad says ‘the sacrifices you make today are the happiness and comfort of tomorrow’.”

Augusto’s time with Potros FC has not been long, as he began his journey with them during their preseason earlier this year. But he states that he was pleased with his time there so far and the way that team received him.

“They were all very nice and welcoming,” said Del Rio. “The teammates who made me feel the most welcome and have made this experience very unique for me are Gabriel, Rodrigo, and Sammy. Even though I got to know Sammy later on, they have all been a great help to me on this team.”

While Augusto has had to deal with major lifestyle adjustments, he had continued to be persistent to following his passion for soccer. A persistence that he attributes to discipline rather than motivation.

“I’ve always said that one should not let their motivation guide their way, because motivation comes and goes,” said Del Rio. “What keeps me going is discipline, because one always has to have discipline in order to achieve their goals and what they want.”

What he wants is to continue his soccer career and hopes that Potros FC makes the playoffs this year. In fact, Augusto states that he feels that all of the sacrifices he’s made have paid off and are continuing to pay off.

“The sacrifices I’ve made have paid off because I’ve seen the progress,” said Del Rio. “In the past six months, I’ve seen the difference when it comes to my physicality, in my strength, and in my mental health.”

Benjamin Uranga:

Benjamin Uranga is a 21-year-old Mexican-American Potros FC defender from Powder Springs, Georgia. Benjamin is the youngest out of four children all of whom played or continue to play soccer.

Benjamin’s experience with soccer happened at the early age of four-years-old. This due to the fact that his father and all three of his siblings played soccer by the time he was born.

“I started playing soccer when I was four-years old and I immediately loved every moment of it,” said Uranga. “I would watch it all the time and play every chance I got, whether it was on a team or with my brother in the backyard.”

Benjamin is one of the co-founders of Potros FC. In fact, the idea of creating the team stemmed from a school project which he later wanted to see come to fruition, and with the help of his older brother Christopher they took on the challenge and responsibility of developing the team.

“I always was super competitive, and I want to be the best in everything I do. This is what drives me to train so hard, and I wanted to make a team that can be the best,” said Uranga. “I brought up the idea to call it Potros FC, based on ‘Colts Soccer Academy’, a school project I had that provides high quality soccer to kids without the same resources to play in a big club.”

Benjamin’s dream much like the rest of his teammates is to play professional soccer one day. But by no means has any intention of abandoning his team.

“My goal is to help Potros FC become the highest level club it can possibly be,” said Uranga. “Even if becoming professional is that level.”

Benjamin has a lot on his plate for a young man of his age. He is a full time student at Kennesaw State University, has a job, assists with managing Potros FC, plays one to two matches a week, and attends all their practices.

“Well, I always joke that I have no free time with my friends, but it’s really true,” said Uranga. “I play one to two games a week, attend three practices a week, do gym training, and do other management-design duties throughout the week and that’s just for the team. Balancing that with school and work leaves me just a few hours of free time a week.”

In fact, he mentioned that there are certain things he has to do in order to make sure that he accomplishes everything he gets done, like being EXTREMELY organized with his school work and activities.

“I have calendars and notebooks I’m constantly updating to make sure that I don’t miss certain things, and I try to waste as little time as possible with social media and video games, etc.,” said Uranga. “It’s tough, but when the school semester ends, a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders.”

Many would see Benjamin’s routine as not living life to the fullest. But he states that the sacrifices that he’s made with his time to pursue his passion are worth it.

“I don’t complain because I love what I do, but there are obviously other things I want to do and people I want to spend time with that I can’t because of the work I put into the club,” said Uranga. “But a lot of people don’t understand the work I put in and accuse me of ‘not living my best life’, but I wish they could feel the passion for something like I do for this club.”

Andrew Dornan:

Andrew Dornan is a 24-year-old Irish-American Potros FC defender from Calhoun, Georgia. Andrew began playing soccer at three-years old and credits his discovery and love for the sport to his parents, mainly his father, who coached him since he was a mere toddler.

“My love for the game came at an extremely young age, and I think it came through my dad since he’s from overseas in Ireland,” said Dornan “They grow up on playing football, and it stuck through the family. Both my brother and sister played and I was exposed to the sport early on, I was perhaps even taken to the field as a baby.”

And indeed it seems that Andrew’s love and curiosity for the game did stick as he states that he has been playing soccer for 21 years. His early development came through playing recreational soccer from the age of three to 14, and played travel from the age of 14 to 16-years-old.

He also got involved with playing against adults as a young teenager. Andrew stated that he was about 14-years-old when he began to get involved with Sunday Adult League teams.

Andrew spoke about how he doesn’t think that he’ll ever want to stop playing soccer his passion for the game is too great, and the sacrifices him and his family made would not be in vain.

“I know my parents sacrificed a lot of time in order to teach my siblings and I how to play soccer,” said Dornan. “And I know that they put a lot of effort to continue to coach us in our early years, as well as they continue to support us.”

Growing up in Calhoun, Georgia, Andrew describes it as a pretty quiet place where there is not a lot of competition for soccer in the area, which led him to make the huge decision to move out overseas.

“About two years ago, I packed up and made the decision to move out overseas to Ireland due to the lack of competition where I lived in Calhoun,” said Dornan. “Going out and knocking on the doors of different clubs to see who would give me shot was quite the experience to say the least. Things were going very well until Covid-19 hit and suddenly there was no work over there either.”

Andrew took a great leap of faith in going to look for a potential club in Ireland. A leap that would lead him to return back to Georgia after two and a half years.

“There was a point in time where I hadn’t seen my family for an entire year,” said Dornan. “It was really hard because I missed them and it was a major sacrifice to make.”

After Covid-19 sent the world on lockdown Andrew flew back to Georgia, but was ready to give up on his passion for soccer. Although Covid-19 restricted play for major league sports, local and regional division got back to playing a few months after.

“After I flew back home from Ireland I was scrolling on Facebook looking at different teams in the area to see where I could be a good fit and to see which one was most convenient regarding distance and work,” said Dornan. “That’s where I came across Potros FC and their trial forms and everything else, so filled them out and sent them in. It was actually Christopher Uranga who texted me back about joining the team. And I think it’s been going well so far to say the least.”

Andrew says that playing for Potros FC was a great fit because it feels like family, though he still faces a few challenges when it comes to commuting to and from practices and games, along with a hefty work schedule.

“Playing for Potros FC is a sacrifice a bit because it is a bit far out from where I live,” said Dornan. “I am having to make an hour and ten-minute drive to get to practices and games as well as that much time to get back home, while it’s not as bad as some of the other teammates’ commutes it gets pretty long after finishing shifts at work.”

Andrew works in the carpet industry as a stocker and has 12-hour work days, which he says gets exhausting but doesn’t mind doing it because he does it for the love of the game.

“I wake up at five in the morning to go into work at six and then work all the way until six in the afternoon, right after I clock out I have to get in my car and make my way down for practice that runs from seven to nine in the evening,” said Dornan. “Sometimes we’ll get out at 9:15 p.m. and I’ll get home at 10 or a bit past 10 and will only have time to eat some dinner, shower, and go to sleep to do it all again the next day.”

There are a lot of sacrifices that Andrew has made to follow his passion for playing soccer. But he considers them to be well worth it, as they have disciplined him to do his best to ensure that he makes the call-up for the United Premier Soccer League matches on the weekends.

“It definitely is a huge sacrifice to work so many hours and then spend a lot of time on the road or at practices/matches, it takes away time from me being able to spend time with friends, family or just relaxing,” said Dornan. “But I definitely think that putting in the work and making those sacrifices are worth it to be considered for the 18 who are chosen to represent the team in the UPSL matches.”

Though Andrew’s time at Potros FC has not been long, he says that the sacrifices he’s made to be on the team have been worth it because he enjoys being a part of something special.

“When I think about if the sacrifices that I’ve made are worth it, I will 100% of the time, all day every day say yes they are,” said Dornan. “It’s being part of something special, that’s what it feels like being a part of Potros FC. I like the vision that Nick, Christopher, Benjamin, and Luis have for the team I think it’s headed in a great direction and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Passions and dreams grow from sacrifice:

These four stories of sacrifice given by these men are just some of the many that are found not just in Potros FC, but in other teams as well.

They show that one’s passion for something does not only rely on them to make sacrifices in order to achieve their dreams, but they instead show what sacrifices bring out of themselves. For Samuel it was focus and drive, for Augusto it was discipline, for Benjamin it was responsibility, and for Andrew it was the ability to persist and take chances.

For all of them it was that dreams are worth chasing and passion is worth the sacrifice.