Sports Coverage – Jesus Omar Gonzalez
Jesus Omar Gonzalez or “Omar” as commonly known amongst his friends, is a dedicated 12th grade student-athlete at Santa Rosa Academy. He developed a passion for soccer in his early years. Omar has been playing soccer for over 10 years and is incredibly dedicated to his sport. He practices everyday in order to perfect his technique and by practicing everyday, that is how he made the Santa Rosa soccer team. During the 2024-2025 season, Omar was named “Captain” thanks to the hours of hard work he’s put in. His constant motivation? The strong relationships he built with his friends and coaches. These individuals inspired him to keep going and were the reason he spent hours practicing. Thanks to them, he is where he is now, as the captain of the Santa Rosa soccer team. He is very grateful to have earned this title and he looks forward to what he will be able to do in the future.
Omar is a midfielder and has worked very hard to get to this position. He trains, worksout, and keeps a focus on his nutrition to stay in shape while he pursues his passion. He enjoys playing midfield because he has control over the movement of the ball traveling up and down the field. The most memorable moment he had in his soccer years was making it to CIF which stands for “California interscholastic federation” it is basically explained as playoffs. Omar believes the most important skill to be successful in soccer is dedication and motivation because they will keep you committed to training and improving. To mentally prepare for his games, Omar does a combination of strategies including listening to music to find peace in his mind, setting a prayer for inspiration and good luck. Both these strategies set a positive mindset and give him more courage.
During his sophomore year of highschool, Omar faced a challenging moment that set him back in his soccer journey when he sustained an injury that unfortunately caused him to make the decision to end his season. Taking a year off, Omar took the time to let his body heal. One person who inspired Omar in his soccer journey was Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi is one of the Greatest soccer players of all time. He holds the record of eight Ballon d’Or awards and has been a constant inspiration to Omar since he was little. Omar always watched him play and got confidence from him and he inspired Omar to keep playing soccer and try harder because if Messi can make it he can. The skills and motivation Messi has towards his sport is what reminds Omar that it’ll all be worth it. He tries his best and builds up courage to get on the field and play in front of lots of people he doesn’t even know.
Overall, Jesus Omar Gonzalez is a hard working student at Santa rosa academy that played soccer almost everyday for over 10 years and is now on a soccer team. He worked extremely hard to get where he is and he says his younger self would be proud of where is right now and how much he has achieved and accomplished over these years.
