Life Transition

Freshmen+Jairo+Todd+playing+soccer+for+Tampa+Bay+United+located+in+Tampa.+

Brandi Carter

Freshmen Jairo Todd playing soccer for Tampa Bay United located in Tampa.

Adia Symmonds, Staffer

Transition from middle school to high school is a different experience for each person. Some feel joy, while others feel fear. Every year in August, a new Freshmen Class comes to Sunlake High school in Land o’ Lakes to kick off their high school years. Out of these hundreds of freshmen is Jairo Todd. On his free time, he enjoys playing the sport of soccer. Jairo started playing soccer at the age of 5, making him compete in the sport for 10 years. Due to the high-level league, he plays (MLS Next). Jairo does not participate in high school soccer. However, he still has had big accomplishments. He states “[m]y most notable accomplishments are playing in various tournaments in Germany and getting multiple awards.” He played across seas in Europe which in soccer knowledge is the top continent to be playing in. The area where the top pros are competing in, and the next generation of top-level talent is developing. Every person that plays a sport knows there is a drive to keep you enjoying and staying in your sport. For Jairo, the thing that keeps him in the sport is that “playing soccer has always been the #1 thing I’ve [sic] wanted to do since I was a toddler and getting as close … to my dream is what drives me to play every day”. Jairo competes on a team by the name of Tampa Bay United MLS Next 07, and an accomplishment they have made this season “was playing in MLS Next tournament and placing high in the group as a team”. His very successful team is likely to make the MLS Next finals and compete to be the top team in the country in the MLS Next league. Jairo is looking forward to potentially lifting that trophy and “personal growth as a player, whether that’s playing college or going on trial” with a professional club’s academy. He is on the road to being successful in his future with all his accomplishments, and has time to still figure out the college plan as he is only a freshman. The final words Jairo has about soccer are “that I [sic] love the sport,” something that is really important when it comes to any sport. Love and passion for anything lead to success and achieving one’s goals. Jairo is one of many freshmen that have a hobby outside of school that has a major impact on their lives.