The Lancer Way: Reuben Dass

The Lancer Way is a new platform provided by California Baptist University's Athletic Department that allows student-athletes to share their stories. All of the words are their own.

Written By: Reuben Dass, Men's Soccer, Jr., Manchester, England

I grew up in Manchester, England, where I spent most of my life. I grew up supporting Manchester United as it was only a 10-minute drive away. My biggest soccer hero was Wayne Rooney. I remember watching my first game with my dad, and he scored two goals.

The atmosphere was breathtaking; it's one of those childhood memories that I'll never forget.

I am of a dual-heritage background with my grandparents residing in Jamaica and India. During the 1960s, my grandparents came to the UK from Jamaica and India. This was made a possibility because all citizens of commonwealth countries (colonized British countries), were permitted to come to the United Kingdom for work.

Growing up for me was a very comfortable and enjoyable experience as both my parents were amazing role models for me. I was, and am, still extremely fortunate to have both parents in my life, and it's a true blessing for me.

Both my mum and dad are from academic backgrounds and graduated from college in chemistry and economics with political science, respectively. I believe this helped me a lot growing up. My parents always encouraged me to do my best in my education, although playing soccer was always the dream. I tried to balance both my studies and soccer to give myself the best opportunities for the future.

I started playing soccer because of the love of the game, and as I got older, it started to open opportunities. Whilst playing for my county team, there were often many scouts that would look to spot talent for youth teams. I played well enough to be scouted by clubs within the English tiers.

Eventually, I found myself signing for Burnley FC at 16 years old. After a stint there, I signed a two-year apprenticeship at Accrington Stanley FC. I really enjoyed my experience there, playing teams from all over the nation. The most exciting time of the year was playing in the FA youth cup, which is essentially the biggest club competition in the nation for U18s.

One of the most difficult things I had to deal with was not being taken on as a pro back in England. In Europe, you either go pro or go to college. There's no compromise like there is here in the United States. College sports do exist, but it's not the path athletes take to reach the next level.

I was fortunate to be in a position where soccer was virtually my life. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to make it to the next level, and it broke me because I felt as if I'd be working towards my dream for so many years. However, my parents always supported me throughout this period and told me to keep faith.

When I came to the United States, I was very apprehensive, and certainly, for the first year, I struggled to get to grips with being so far away from home. There were times where I thought I might give up. However, I knew I had something really good here.

The life of a D1 athlete isn't particularly easy, and it wasn't for me for long periods of time. However, I had to keep moving forward. I knew adversity was going to be part of the journey.

I decided to transfer to CBU for several reasons, both on and off the field I believed this was an environment I wanted to be a part of. The coaching staff were all very supportive and were looking to build a team that I wanted to be a part of.

@CBUmsoccer welcomes Reuben Dass from Manchester, England! pic.twitter.com/CTQTtJqNNH
— CBU Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) June 8, 2019

Even though the team cannot compete in the postseason right away, the philosophy and plan the coaches have for the team and me as an individual are second to none. I want to give myself the best chance of having a career on and off the field. I believe I am in the right place.

We still have a lot to play for in the season, and I'm really enjoying being part of this team. As a team, the dream would be to win a conference title. We definitely have the ability in the squad to win, so we'll keep pushing until the end.

Ever since I came to CBU, everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. I am trying to be the best version of myself, so I can be an example to others and a good role model for my younger siblings. Having a purpose on and off the field in life is something that I definitely believe in, and here at CBU, I'm sure it can set me up for achieving that.

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