Oak Forest HS Soccer Teams Skype with Professional Soccer Player

The Oak Forest High School Soccer program hosted retired MLS Soccer Star Dasan Robinson yesterday via a Skype chat. Robinson started his career as a Chicago Fire player. He later was traded to Toronto and then the LA Galaxy, which he retired from in 2012. Soccer Coach Hanah Shehaiber asked Robinson about his off-season development. The boys’ soccer season has ended and the girls’ season begins in the spring, so the students were very interested in this answer. Robinson said that he was playing club soccer before he went to college but that “the University of Dayton gave us a heads-up about what to expect and how to train. I did a lot of running on my own.” “College soccer is like a job,” Robinson said. “There are mandatory study hours, 6am practices, and then after classes there are more practices. Then there are mandatory study table hours. It is a business. There are demands and you are going to have to live up to them. College is a lot more physical than you are used to. You need to figure out what works for you and then do that. In college, things are faster, more physical. You need to make sure you are dedicated to it in order to be successful. Robinson was a defender in his professional career as a soccer player. “Yeah, forwards get all the glory but there is a lot of pride in being a defender.” Coach Shehaiber asked, “What three attributes do you need to have a successful developmental season?” Robinson said, “You have to be committed to yourself and the team. You have to have a strong work ethic. Commitment is great, but work ethic is necessary. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of Robinson. At the end of the discussion, Robinson gave a shout out to the boys’ and girls’ soccer programs. “I wish you the best of success in the upcoming years!” he said.