FORMER UAAP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SHENDEN VERGARA IS NOW AT HOME WITH THE SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS IN UTAH, USA.
UAAP Season 81 men’s football Rookie of the Year awardee Shanden Vergara is realising his dream of having an American education and preparing himself as a future professional footballer for the Major League Soccer (MLS).
The 19-year old son of football coach from San Carlos City Negros Occidental John Jason Vergara and Marife T. Vergara of Molave, Zamboanga de Sur, is now in Utah USA enjoying a full scholarship at Snow College.
He is also slowly making a name for himself with the Badgers earning a starting 11 position where the coach has been using him as a striker, midfielder, wingman and even defender according to his father John Vergara.
So far early in the season, Shenden his father said has scored already three goals and dished two assists. “They have a European and a perfectionist coach. Shanden has been deployed as right wing, left wing, striker and even as a defender. They are being told to adopt or else would be benched,” John said.
Snow college is one of the oldest junior college in the US with rich sports programs like women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, and rodeo. The school competes in the National Junior Colleges Athletic Association (NJCAA). It is located in the quite town of Ephraim, Utah and has 5,100 students.
He left for Snow College in early July and was impressive during the pre-season training. “During training and practice games he scores. He even scored a goal from the top corner using his weak foot in one of their training matches which made his teammates go crazy,’’ said the proud dad.
After receiving offers from at least 30 colleges and universities in the US, Shanden’s dad feels that his son in the right place to realise his dream of having a career as a professional footballer.
“His school now is competing in a very competitive tournament. Their coach is Portuguese Nuno Gourgel from Tottenham youth academy and very strict. He is a coach who is serious and has ambitions to give Snow College a title it needs. Shanden has foreign teammates, three Japanese, two Portuguese from Benfica academy, two Brazilians, and an Argentinian-American. They have recruited players from all over the globe to show that they are building a championship team,”he added.
Snow College recruited Shanden through Football for Humanity Foundation President, Chris Thomas and his international partnerships with top calibre recruitment organisation called SRUSA based in the UK, not far from Manchester, England.
Football for Humanity Foundation led by football fanatics Chris Thomas and Belle Tiongco is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) that believes in the transformative power of football. The group harnesses that power to protect, educate and empower children affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and extreme poverty.
Football for Humanity last summer distributed thousands of footballs to less fortunate children in Mindanao which included children from Lumbia FC Raptors, Kauswaga FC Falcons, Merry Child School, and Bulua National High School here in Cagayan de Oro City.
Snow College is just a stepping stone for Shanden as he really wants to play for the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the future. The MLS is the top tier football league in the US with 24 clubs from different cities competing.
“Definitely his goal is to play for the MLS someday. He is a very hardworking kid and he is very focused. I am very happy now that he has reached one of his dream which is to study in a US school. He eats, sleeps and plays football since he was a child. He was always first on the training pitch but he never forgets his studies. He was very studious and always made sure he studied first and did his assignments so that he could train football,” John Jason added.
The recruitment of the US school for Shanden Vergara has opened the gates for future football stars in our country. US schools are now aware that the Philippines has a rich list of football talents.
Shanden’s former Alma Mater De La Salle University (DLSU) will truly miss him in the coming 82nd season. However, De La Salle football community has something to look forward to in the US. Certainly just like the football mad people from San Carlos City Negros Occidental the De La Salle football community is proud of Shenden. (l.biantan@gmail.com)
