Josai Elijah Vereen is 11 years old and a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is multi-racial; with African-American, Hispanic and West-Indian ancestry. His maternal grandparents emigrated to the United States from Costa Rica and Guyana. Soccer is a celebrated sport in his familial circle.

“I started liking soccer because of the way people were able to do cool tricks with the ball. Since then, I have developed a joy for the game beyond cool tricks. I play soccer because I love it and it will give me opportunities to travel around the world, which is my dream.

My interests outside of soccer are reading comic books, playing basketball/football and playing video games.

I am looking forward to traveling to Portugal this summer because I get to face new challenges. It will be challenging to play in a new climate and time zone. Also, I will be playing against other teams that have a different style and strategy. This is an opportunity that many kids do not get and I feel lucky to be part of this experience. I know that competing at this level will push me past my comfort zone and make me a better player.”

Josai Elijah