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scholarship to Virginia Tech. But why soccer? Someone once told Dubose that he was too short for basketball and not big enough to follow in his father’s footsteps to American football. Soccer, it would seem, was inevitable. Still, there was a great distance between playing for his local soccer club and the halls of Virginia Tech. Having a strong support network is as essential as talent and discipline when it comes to making it as a professional athlete in the US. As Dubose puts it, “Where you start in sports is ultimately where you’ll finish.” So, after a successful college career as a defender with the Hokies, he was ready to pursue a life in professional soccer. THE PRESENT TODAY’S CHALLENGES In soccer, a player will only have control over the ball for around 2 percent of his overall playtime. Dubose tells me what players do with the remaining 98 percent when the ball is off his feet matters just as much during a game. He’s finding the
evante Dubose can still hear the roaring crowds when he wakes up every morning, though soccer is no longer at the center of his life. The days of waking up early to train and run drills are in the rearview mirror, and so is the glory that comes
with professional sports. Its absence leaves behind a void familiar to athletes across the US, particularly those involved in The Beautiful Game. When asked what pushes him forward these days, he replied coaching. Through coaching, Dubose takes principles he applies to his own life and his ongoing commitment to youth sports.
THE PAST HOW WE GOT HERE
Dubose was raised by coaches. He knows that it takes a village for Black American kids to fulfill their dreams in professional sports. It was thanks to his network of supporters and believers that he was able to obtain an athletic
LEFT: Dubose serving as an Oakland Roots ambassador at The Black Boy Joy Festival IMAGE: Jessica Hendricks @jshfoto (richmond kickers)
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