In soccer, the goalkeeper is the last line of defense between his team’s net and the opposing team’s offense. The main thrust of his game is to keep the ball out of the goal by any means necessary. He is the only player on the field who is permitted to use his hands, but he is one of many who can use his head.
However, Christian Nolasco uses his head for more than just game-saving blocks and up-field passing; he deftly bounces from field to class with an ease rarely seen in a kid his age.
Nolasco, 14, has been impressing coaches in the Woodhaven Soccer Club with his goaltending prowess since he joined as a young boy.
“Without a doubt, he is probably one of the most talented kids we have ever had on any of our teams,” said Gabriel Lakhan, vice-president of the Club and Nolasco’s assistant coach. “He is the best we have.”
The field is not the only place that Nolasco excels. The Ozone Park eight-grader has a gleaming 99-average at Scholar’s Academy in Rockaway and cites science as his favorite subject. When asked how he manages sports and school, a cool Nolasco simply shrugs.
“During class, I try to pay attention,” said Nolasco, as if he had never thought about it before. “That’s really the main thing. Also, I try to get all my work done at home, even if I have to stay up late.”
Nolasco takes that same approach on the soccer field. From his spot in the goal crease, he pays attention to the play in front of him – even if it is on the other end of the field. He looks for holes in the other team’s game and ways to exploit them.
“Soccer is a team effort,” he said. “The goalie can be on top of his game, but if his team cannot score, he’s not going to win. So the goalie has to keep everyone in check.”
Keen vision and a level head are not attributes that are merely utilized on the soccer field. The skill to see a problem and to know how and when to react also has its benefit on the home front. Nolasco has two older siblings, a brother and a sister, and also a younger brother, who happens to have autism.
Nolasco said that having an autistic brother probably forced him to grow up a lot quicker than other kids his age. It was necessary to help the family and especially, his mother, Maria.
“I feel like I want to help my mother because sometimes it can be hard for her,” he said. “And that made me more dedicated to working and improving myself.”
Maria Nolasco said that Christian is mature beyond his age and that she rarely ever has to discipline him because he is too busy to get into any trouble.
“He is very organized, has great concentration and knows what he wants,” said Maria. “I never have to yell at him and he never asks for anything.”
The only time she ever found herself disagreeing with Christian is when it came time to choose a high school. His older siblings both attended St. Francis Prep and Christian was fine with a future at the Flushing school.
That is, until a coach from Christ the King saw him play soccer. The coach immediately fell in love with Christian’s game; this altered his plans and changed his family’s St. Francis tradition.
“He wants to be different. What can I do?” said Maria. “He is very much an individual and if he’s happy, I’m happy.”
Christian never thought twice about the sudden shift of his high school destiny. To him, it is important to write one’s plans in pencil, so that it can be erased and redrawn if necessary.
“I don’t think you can really have a specific plan because not everything goes according to how you think it is going to go,” said Christian. “You have got to live in the moment.”
And in this moment, Christian wants to take his game to the pro level. He figures to get a scholarship to a college, though he is not sure which school he will end up choosing.
One thing is for certain, and his coaches agree, there is no stopping Christian’s goals.
“When you have a player like Christian, you want to see him do something good,” said Lakhan. “Because you know he’s capable of it.”
