Yvette Walker
With KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker. This is IE Latino Voices, where we invite representatives from Latino led and Latino serving organizations to share their stories and their impact in our region. Joining me today is Brian Orozco, goalkeeper for the Empire Strykers. Thank you so much for being with us today, Brian.
Brian Orozco
Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here.
Yvette Walker
I love full circle moments, so let's start with your origins at San Bernardino Valley College.
Brian Orozco
Actually right after high school, which was Grand Terrace High School, I was reached out by Coach Brown, and I came over here. I played a season here in the 2021-2022 season. And you know, it's great to be back at home.
Yvette Walker
What was the experience like having family in Guatemala, spending time there, and growing up playing as a goalkeeper?
Brian Orozco
Being in Guatemala, having family over there, it was a great experience. My whole family's over there. And growing up being a goalkeeper, it was fun. Also tough being a goalkeeper. You face a lot of diversity, but I followed my dad's footsteps. He was a professional goalkeeper in Guatemala, so I followed his footsteps into it and I love the sport. I love being a goalkeeper.
Yvette Walker
Talk about your journey as a goalkeeper, because we mentioned, you know, the fear of a parent, as a mother myself, of children that played soccer. Talk about the perilous position that the goalkeeper actually has to encounter and how you navigated that.
Brian Orozco
Yeah, I think being a goalkeeper is a tough position to be in. It's, in my opinion, the hardest position on the field. Obviously, I give props to all those guys on the field as well, but it's tough. We're the last guy on the field to prevent the ball going into that goal, and it's a lot of responsibility for us as goalkeepers. And you know, talking about my mom, she always worries, you know, she wants me to be safe, be okay, but also she's very excited, very happy for me and everything that I do. It's a great feeling.
Yvette Walker
Sounds like it. And we know that you are the goalkeeper at the Empire Strykers, which plays at the Toyota Arena, a beautiful venue, great seats everywhere. Please talk about how the Empire Strykers games are different from traditional soccer games.
Brian Orozco
Empire Strykers, huge team. We love what we do there. We play at the Toyota Arena, which is, for me, in my opinion, the best venue out there for indoor soccer games. They’re super exciting, they're not like regular outdoor games. We have a lot of goals involved. It’s a high paced game, so people are always into the game, entertaining, screaming, yelling. We have a lot of parking. There's a lot of space. So for whoever wants to be there, I really recommend it. It's a great experience. You don't want to miss out on that.
Yvette Walker
So speaking of experiences, you recently achieved a first in the game of soccer. Please share what that was.
Brian Orozco
Yeah so I'm a goalkeeper, but throughout my career, I've also played on the field, and I think that's why I fit into this sport because goalkeepers are meant to play with their feet a lot. And just this past weekend, I was given the opportunity to be able to come up, you know, past the half, take a shot, and I scored my first goal as a professional. So it was a great feeling. It's so much fun.
Yvette Walker
That is remarkable. Please share any advice you have for our youth looking to pursue their soccer dreams on the field.
Brian Orozco
Soccer is a wonderful sport. It's really fun. There's a lot of adversity in it, but my advice to the youth that wants to get into the world of soccer as a professional athlete, is just keep working, stay disciplined and keep that dream alive. That's the most important thing. You’re gonna face adversity, but you gotta look at the bigger picture and just keep going. Stay disciplined, work really hard and listen to your mentors for sure.
Yvette Walker
Words of wisdom. Please share an overview of what fans can expect when they join a game and the best way to connect to the Empire Strykers. Yeah.
Brian Orozco
So it's a exciting game, high paced game, you know, it's intense. A lot of goals up and down. Time is flying. The ball rarely gets out of the field. Just be ready to lose your voice, because you're gonna be yelling a lot, shouting a lot, and cheering a lot, for sure.
Yvette Walker
Thank you so much for being with us here today, Brian.
Brian Orozco
Of course, it's an honor to be here. Thank you so much.
Yvette Walker
Brian Orozco is goalkeeper for the Empire Strykers. Join us again next week for IE Latino Voices. You can find this story and others on our website at kvcrnews.org/IELatinoVoices. IE Latino Voices is produced by KVCR Public Media and is funded by generous support from the CIELO Fund at IECF, uplifting and investing in the IE’s Latino community. For KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker.
