An amazing factor about doing projects like these are the people that you meet. Every character has his or her own story to tell. However, some are more compelling than others.
I got a chance to hear that of Chris Lekavich (pictured) during a men's soccer practice session.
He is the Falcons' goalkeepers' trainer and has been working with Cerritos for two years. He also gives private lessons and works with teams all across Southern California.
Our conversation was sporuted by my project. I was looking for a soccer ball to shoot and he recommended that I take a picture of a ball that was used in the 1987 World Cup. He also showed me a soccer magazine that had some amazing photos.
Somewhere between that, he ended up giving me a mini bio which was very captivating.
He played at Golden West College, but at that time soccer wasn't his main priority. "I was more into chasing girls and doing drugs," he said.
From there he went to the Marines to get, what he calls, his "attitude realigned." While serving, he played in some of the highest levels of military soccer,including the All Marine Corps Team.
After his tenure in the military, he played two years at Cal State Fullerton. But an encounter would change not only his career, but his life as a whole.
"A lady used me as her mirror while she was doing her eye-liner," he said half-jokingly.
The accident left him with three ruptured disks and pretty much ended his playing days. He then decided to get into coaching and training.
He feels that he can give players a point of view that sometimes other coaches don't. He wants players to give them the discipline he didn't have early on.
"I try to help goalkeepers and give them the advantage that I didn't have. I give them their own personal trainer that's played at a higher level and knows what it takes to play there," he said.
"(I want to)get them not just (physically) fit, but make it so that they fully understand the game."
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