Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonny Guadarrama.
Hi Sonny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Cedar Park, Texas where I was the third of four children and both of my older brothers were soccer players from a young age. My father would drive us to Mexico for pick-up games and I knew for sure by the time that I was 12 that I wanted to be a professional player. I excelled at soccer in the Leander youth leagues and later at Cedar Park High School. I got a scholarship to play soccer to Campbell University. After one year of college I decided to leave early to sign a pro contract for Santos Laguna in Mexico where I made my debut with the first team in November 2006 against Pachuca. I played 11 seasons in Mexico, playing for and against some of the Mexico’s major clubs with teams such as Santos Laguna, Monarcas Morelia, Merida FC, Atlante FC, Necaxa, and Dorados of Sinaloa where I combined to make over 70 appearances and score 19 goals in Liga and Ascenso MX. I returned home to the Austin area in 2016 where I co-founded my own developmental team, Academia de Preparacion Profesional de Austin (APPA) Águilas. In 2018, I felt a calling to return to professional soccer with San Antonio FC as I felt that I could inspire my players to pursue their own dreams.. I would commute back and forth to stay close to my family. In 2019, I signed for the Austin Bold who plays at Circuit of the Americas. I played for the Bold for two years and now in 2021 I have decided to retire and pursue a career in broadcasting for Austin FC.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think there is such thing as a smooth road if you never stop dreaming big. I have always believed in working hard for the things I want so I trained day in and out so that I would have enough skill to compete at the highest level. At 18 I left my family, friends and home country and moved to Mexico to follow my dreams. Though I always knew that the training would be tough, I didn’t foresee how hard it would be for me to be away from family. I struggled with being so far from family and not having time to come home because they played year round in the Mexican League. It wasn’t easy but I never regretted it. It’s the hard path with the bumps in the road that turn you into the person you become. I have the best job in the world making a living playing the game I love and being able to bring the beautiful game of soccer to others in my hometown.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have always had a passion for transferring my love of soccer to others whether through youth programs or through my current new role of broadcasting for Austin’s first MLS team, Austin FC. Soccer is an inclusive sport played worldwide in both the streets and in the stadiums. I have a soft spot for local youth and for developing children in both a socially and physically supportive atmosphere where they can interact with peers in a team sport environment. As a youth I played for the Flyers, and later the Austin Capitals and Austin Lightning and made appearances with the United States U-17, U-18 and U-20 national teams. I had the support of many amazing coaches such as U.S. youth national team coach Wolfgang Suhnholz. I co-founded my first youth club, APPA in 2016 and am a co-founder of Sunshine Soccer of Central Texas, a program which specializes in adaptive soccer for youth with special needs. I have had a personally fulfilling professional career but I am most proud of the environment of inclusion that I have fostered throughout my coaching career.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I followed my older brother Willy to Campbell University after graduating from Cedar Park High School where I had more than 100 goals and was listed as a “Best New Comer” to the conference with three All-District MVPS, Central Texas MVP, and Parade High School All-American. After my Freshman year with the Camels I was the Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year and where I also earned All-Conference, Freshman of the Year, All-Conference Team, Freshman All-American, and was the second leading freshman in the country in scoring and ranked 12th overall. I watched Willy graduate after playing four years at Campbell University and saw him drafted to MLS. I knew this was a safe and traditional route that I could pursue as well but I also knew deep inside that I didn’t want to wait that long for my first professional game.
After my Freshman year I went to Torreón, Mexico for a tryout with Santos Laguna. It was a big risk leaving the safety of everything I knew but I saw my path clearly and I was willing to work hard to get where I needed to be. I took a risk again coming out of retirement in 2018 to join San Antonio FC and Austin Bold but I knew I could motivate the kids I coached much more through my actions than my words. I wanted to inspire them to believe in themselves and their ability to reach any goal they were willing to work for. The path hasn’t always been the easiest, but I have never regretted the decision.
Contact Info:
- Email: Sonnyg@rootsfubol.com
- Website: www.rootsfutbol.com
- Instagram: Sonnyguadarrama
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