Edwin “Chivo” Perez: The Unusual Path of a King’s Soccer Player During COVID-19

| Photo courtesy of TKC Athletics

Sports are a defining part of growing up for many Americans. Millions of young Americans take up high school athletics and hundreds of thousands go on to compete at the collegiate level. For some, the path is easy and clear, but for others, the path is harder than most could fathom. 

For Edwin “Chivo” Perez, the path has not been easy. Growing up in Katy, Texas, he was brought up alongside his five cousins and moved between Houston and Tamaulipas, Mexico. 

There he learned of his passion for soccer, the world’s most popular sport.

“Since I’m Mexican, the culture was centered around soccer. I grew up with my father as a player and role model, and I wanted to be like him,” Perez said. 

Most athletes are groomed from a young age, given the resources and spotlight to be able to succeed in their chosen sport. With the advent of social media, young athletes have become celebrities with great influence throughout the country. 

However, for Perez, his path was not as privileged. He did not have the money or connections to go to top-tier training facilities or camps to showcase his skills. The only thing he had was a love of the game and a drive to succeed. 

“It’s always been a struggle,” Perez said. “I had a lot to look up to. I was told I couldn't accomplish my dreams by many people, but all that did was motivate me to get what I wanted. I made varsity sophomore year, but even that wasn't enough. I’ve experienced a lot of pain, but the joy of winning will always outweigh the pain.”

Because of his hard work, Perez finally received an opportunity to play at the collegiate level at The King’s College. 

“It felt like a dream come true. To see your hard work show out and lead you to new places with immense opportunities. It was definitely a blessing and an amazing feeling.”

Unfortunately, Perez’s freshman year and inaugural college soccer season would be met with even more challenges. With the emergence of COVID-19, New York City was one of the hardest-hit cities in the world. The first public events to be shut down were sporting events, which meant that collegiate sports in the city would also be canceled. 

“It was a let down to see that my freshman season would not happen, I'd worked so hard to be able to show out at the collegiate level,” Perez said. 

Regardless, Perez ultimately decided to spend the fall semester on campus, getting involved with King’s and growing closer to his teammates.

“I felt it was important to come in person and be able to forge relationships for the betterment of team chemistry,” Perez said. “In-person [learning] led me to succeed and be heavily involved in the community. I absolutely loved the city, loved the people, and really found a family here,” he continued. 

Perez quickly adjusted to the city lifestyle, the academic pace of King’s and melded well with his teammates. 

“He was a super well-rounded guy,” said Richie Cummings, a freshman soccer player at The King’s College. “After meeting at Inviso it was quick to see just the kind of person he was and the good qualities he could bring to the team. He brings good leadership, dedication and great experience after playing at the semi-pro level straight out of high school, and I’m excited to see just how much he can help the team out on a championship run next season.” 

Although he wanted to stay in the city full-time, Perez had responsibilities which led himto opt for the remote learning option for the spring semester. He had to support hisfamily and make money to be able to support his dreams of continuing to play soccer.With COVID-19 heightening and New York’s lockdown of all sporting events, Perezneeded to look for ways to prepare for the future. Since sports were still open inTexas, it was a no-brainer to head home and beat on his craft in preparation for his sophomore season. 

“I came back to help my family, but my dream is always to make it pro and the only way to do that is staying active, which led me to find opportunities to play at home, stay in shape and make money to pay for college, all while being a full-time student,” Perez said. “My immediate goal is to come back [to New York] and work for a championship run with King’s. Being a student athlete, school is a priority, so when I got the chance to be a student and play until things got better in the city I took it.”