A long ball over the top drops to him and, on the volley, he shoots it — the ball whizzes past the keeper into the bottom corner and everyone hears the swish of the net.

   Senior Mohamed Hassan has been scoring goals for the Varsity Soccer Team since his sophomore year. Hassan scored nine goals and had six assists in the 2018-2019 season, according to a website about high school sports (maxsports.com). Moving up to Division One this year, Hassan is ready for the harder competition.

   Hassan started playing soccer at a very young age. “Growing up in Egypt, Soccer was the most popular sport in the country, so I used to play a lot with my friends,” he explained. Hassan also mentioned his favorite team is the Liverpool Football Club and favorite player is Egyptian Forward Mohammad Salah. “The way he can dribble past so many defenders and still be able to shoot it into the top corner is one of the many reasons why I look up to him,” stated Hassan.

   One of the best characteristics about Hassan is his attitude towards the game and his teammates. Although Hassan is serious and composed when it comes to game time, his fun and entertaining personality lifts some pressure off all of his teammates. Junior Jack Amos commented, “During practice, he knows how to have fun while being serious about the level of his play.”

   During the four years Hassan has been playing for UC High, he has moved up through the teams, and improved remarkably. His freshman year he started out on junior varsity, before moving up to a starting varsity position for his sophomore year and onward. Amos also mentioned, “He’s improved overall greatly, with us playing together for so long it’s brought up our cohesiveness and the overall play of the team.” 

  In Hassan’s last season as a Centurion soccer player, he has established himself as one of the leaders on the team. Having been a Varsity Team member for so long, he has been able to teach many of the younger kids in the program. Senior Rowan Hicks explained, “We both moved up to varsity the same year, and now that we are seniors, we can teach the younger boys just as we were taught ourselves.”

   Entering into his senior season this year, Hassan and the team have set out a few goals for the season. Hassan explained, “Hopefully this year we can win League for the third year in a row, and the cherry on top would be to win CIF for Division One.”

   Through his years as a Centurion, Hassan has grown tremendously, as both a skilled player and energetic teammate. As an upperclassman on the team, he has become an effective leader, while teaching others and helping to create a legacy for boys soccer at UC High.