issue 19 final

10 11
THURSDAY
APR. 18
2024
SPORTS
JOHN LINDROOS
Staff Writer
A 7,000 MILE JOURNEY
Cyprus native and defensive midfielder Alex Solomis is no stranger
to holding himself to a high standard. The first-year student-athlete
lives and breathes soccer, and views the opportunity of playing for the
USF soccer team as a stepping stone to reaching his goal.
“I always say, whatever the case, I’m gonna go pro. I just want to
make it, anywhere I can just play [soccer],” Solomis said. “Right now,
the ultimate goal I would say is the MLS [Major League Soccer].”
Solomis was born on the small island of Cyprus, which is located
in the eastern region of the Mediterranean Sea. He grew up in the capital
city of Nicosia, which is known for its warm climate throughout the
majority of the year, with temperatures peaking around 110 degrees in
the summer. In his free time, Solomis said he enjoys going to the beach
Alex Solomis is chasing his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. Photo courtesy of Chris M.
Leung/Dons Athletics
Alex Solomis Thrives on the Pitch
and spending time with his family.
After being introduced to soccer at the age of four, Solomis quickly
fell in love with the game. “I feel like it’s the best sport because it
requires so much thinking,” he said. “It requires everything. You have
to be smart. You have to be fast. You have to be technical. You have to
be focused for more than 90 minutes.”
Throughout his time in Cyprus, Solomis trained with the U17 and
U19 National Team during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons, and he
won the U19 First Division Championship with Omonoia FC in 2022.
From his experience, Solomis pointed out the strong sense of community
he felt due to Cyprus’ small size. “Everyone knows you and you
know them. I knew most of the kids I was playing with,” he said. “The
teams weren’t many. For my team, there were many players that were
on the national team as well.”
Transitioning from his native country to a city that he considers
“very hectic,” Solomis said that it took some time
for him to get comfortable in San Francisco. “I went
from one of the most laid-back places to one of the
craziest places,” he said. “In the beginning, it was
pretty hard. It was difficult to adjust. It also affected
the way I was playing, it took me a while to really
start giving what I know I can do.”
Solomis added that the difference in playstyle
between European and American soccer also contributed
to his adjustment. “Europe is a lot more
technical. [America], it’s a lot more physical,” he
said. “The pace of the game is faster. You don’t have
a lot of space and time to react to make a pass or to
transition from defense.”
Teammate Kaleb Afsari said, “His skill lies in
his knowledge for the game as well as his technical
ability. He has great technique in long passes, shooting,
and control.”
His passion is apparent to those who play with
him. USF teammate and fellow Cyprus native Constantinos
Michaelides, said, “Alex is a very determined,
hardworking individual. His work ethic is
something that drives and gives energy to those who
find themselves around him.”
When Solomis isn’t physically training, he turns
his attention to watching professional soccer games,
where he tries to learn from the best. “I model my
game after Sergio Busquets, a defensive midfielder
from Barcelona. I have similar traits to him. He’s a
lot more technical and has really good vision, composure,
and passing range,” Solomis said.
When playing on the field, Cyprus is on his
mind. Even 7,000 miles away from home, he said,“I
feel more passionate about representing my country
now that I’m away from it because I also miss home
a lot.”
To others with big dreams, Solomis said, “If
you’re passionate about something, commit to that
and give everything to that. Don’t do something just
to do it. Don’t just get a degree to get a degree. Do
something you actually love doing and want to have
a future with.”
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor:
Sophia Siegel, Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer,
Sports Editor: Chase Darden
FROM THE DESK TO THE DIAMOND
AMANDA HERNANDEZ
Staff Writer
Joe Soberon Balances Law School and Baseball
Joe Soberon, the starting pitcher of the Dons Men’s
Baseball team has surpassed the conventional role of a
student-athlete, balancing law school and his athletic
career.
Soberon’s dedication to baseball began at the age of
five when he started playing tee-ball. He has since spent
countless hours dedicated to travel baseball, high school
ball, and college ball.
The start of his college career began at the University
of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2020. The summer
prior to his first semester at UCSD, he tore his ACL and
had to spend his entire first year of baseball red-shirted
so that he could recover.
Despite being faced with such challenges, he found
that red-shirting for a year allowed him to move forward
with his educational journey. This led him to successfully
complete his bachelor’s degree in sociology with a
minor in political science in three years.
Though Soberon still had two years of eligibility
left after graduation, he wasn’t sure what the next steps
would be for him. He considered giving up baseball and
focusing primarily on graduate school.
However, he had been in contact with many different
schools interested in pursuing him, but USF seemed
to fit.
“The coaches said, ‘why not start law school now instead
of waiting until after I am done with baseball’ and
I think that was pretty cool,” said Soberon. “It was a sign
from them that they really wanted me to be here, so they
were trying to find ways for me to get something outside
of just playing more ball.”
As he began a new part of his academic and athletic
career at USF last fall, he realized how seamlessly he fit
in with the team who quickly became his friends. This
provided him with a sense of community that made his
transition from UCSD to USF much easier.
As a full-time law student and baseball player, Soberon
seeks to find balance in his day to day life. He
manages the dual demands by relying on the support of
his coaches and teammates
“My teammates here have been really accommodating.
It’s hard, I make it to half the practices and all the
games, so I am there for the hardest part with the guys,
mentally. They have been really good to me in terms of
trusting that I am taking care of business, and I’m not slacking off. It is
a really cool group of guys.” said Soberon.
Soberon recently earned the Rawlings West Coast Conference
Pitcher of the Week honor and finds himself needing to prioritize his
class attendance over attending practices.
Head Coach Rob DiToma said, “It has been very refreshing to see
someone like [Soberon] who truly puts the student in student-athlete.
When we recruited him this past summer, we told him we would be
very understanding and adaptable to the academic demands of being a
full-time law student and a Division 1 baseball player. Joey’s drive and
work ethic are what makes this even remotely possible. He is a pleasure
to coach and it is inspirational to see him go about his academics and
athletics and be able to function at such a high level at both.”
Soberon said, “I like to separate myself from pressure. I do not like
to think about it as pressure. Yes there are people counting on me and
sure there is objective pressure, but subjectively I separate myself from
it. For one, it’s a game, two it’s a game I love, and three I do not get to
Joe Soberon channels his Filipino roots as he balances law school and baseball. Photo courtesy of Chris M.
Leung/Dons Athletics.
do this forever.”
Being from Concord, Calif., Soberon has noted the importance of
having the support of his family and friends due to him being closer
to home. He said how important it is to have his family sitting in the
stands during games.
“Athletically, I think I will always be chasing the dream of playing
professional baseball,” he said. “Academically, I am going to finish my
degree here, pass the bar exam in California and if I end up sticking
to Sports Law, I want to pursue a Major League Baseball (MLB) Player
Agent Certification so that I can be an agent or practicing attorney in
sports law.”
Soberon will join the baseball team as they head to Moraga to take
on Saint Mary’s College for a three-game series from Apr. 19-21.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, Sports Editor: Chase Darden
SPORTS