Eugene, Ore — Daley Stevens has had an incredible passion for soccer for as long as he can remember. He explained that this passion began to develop when he first started playing at the age of five. Stevens has been involved with the sport since then in order to see how far it can take him. His journey has led him to the Lane United Futbol Club, a semi-professional soccer team located here in the Eugene area.

Stevens is one of five Eugene natives that made the squad. Uniquely, the coaching staff recruited none of these players. Stevens attended open tryouts back in March with an open mind and low expectations. Once he was informed that he made the team he was shocked. Being an un-scouted player has provided extra motivation for Stevens.

When I first met Stevens I could easily tell how dedicated he is to the game of soccer. One of the first things he mentioned was that he felt as though he needed to hydrate because he just finished a workout for Lane United FC, but still had practice with the University of Oregon’s club team later that evening.

He also looks the part of a soccer player. He came to the interview dressed in Adidas soccer shorts, a Lane United FC practice shirt, and a backpack that had a compartment for a soccer ball.

After spending a few minutes with Stevens it was apparent that he is making the most of the opportunity that Lane United FC has given him.

“When Lane United first came about they said they were going to be a semi-professional team starting in the summer. I realized it was a perfect opportunity for me, since I’m graduating in June, to really go after soccer once I’m finished here at the U of O,” said Stevens.

Even though Stevens is living out his dream of playing semi-professional soccer he hasn’t forgotten the hard work and dedication that got him to this point. He also realizes he will be going up against some of the best players in the world and will have to work even harder just to be active for games. Of the twenty-five players on the roster only eighteen can be activated for games.

Stevens initially started playing KidsSports soccer at the age of five. The KidsSports organization provides team sports for youth. This lasted through the age of 10 when Stevens decided he wanted to take soccer more seriously and play on local club teams. Club teams generally have a reputation for providing stiffer competition and better coaching. His primary focus was making the Under-11 team for OUSA (Oregon United Soccer Academy). Once he made the team he kept with it until he was 14 when OUSA disbanded. Fortunately, for Stevens a new club team was formed around the same time called EMFC (Eugene Metro Futbol Club). He was part of this club all the way through high school.

While attending South Eugene High School Stevens was also part of the men’s soccer team for all four years. He played on the junior varsity team for one year and the varsity team for three. Stevens played for South Eugene in the fall and would transition into club soccer after that. Once he graduated Stevens had a few offers to play soccer at Division 2 and Division 3 schools. He ultimately decided to turn them down for the chance to attend the University of Oregon. His father works at the school so he receives reduced tuition. It was also always a dream of his to attend this university. The only downside was that they didn’t have a men’s varsity soccer team, just a club team. Stevens ultimately decided to join the club team and remain part of it throughout his time at the university.

During the past year Stevens has realized he wants more out of the sport. “I realized coming off of last year that club soccer wasn’t enough for me and that I wanted to pursue something higher,” said Stevens.

Soon after that Stevens heard about Lane United FC and realized it was a golden opportunity since he’ll be graduating this upcoming June. When tryouts came Stevens figured he would give it a shot. He knew making the team would prove to be extremely difficult considering the coaching staff had recruited athletes from across the world. Dave Galas, the Managing Director for Lane United FC, has been using connections his brother, John Galas, has in order to recruit these players.

When Stevens found out he was going to be on the team, and not just a practice player, he was ecstatic. “It was super exciting to know I was going to be on the team,” exclaimed Stevens.

At the time he didn’t realize that he was one of five other Eugene natives had made the team. Stevens feels as though he is motivated to become an even better player because the coaching staff didn’t actively recruit him. He also explained that his fellow Eugene natives feel the same way. “We have a chip on our shoulder and something to prove”.

One difference that Stevens has noticed while playing for a semi-professional team and a college club team is the skill level. Playing semi-professional soccer is faster and more physical according to Stevens. He also realizes that some of these guys could be playing professional soccer in the next couple of years and they hardly ever make mistakes. “Every single player out there is amazing. There are really no weak links on the team,” said Stevens. “Lane United has really done a great job establishing the team”.

When asked how far he believes soccer can take him Stevens explained he could see himself involved with the sport for the rest of his life, whether it’s coaching or playing. “I’d be happy if this was as far as I got. At least I could say I played professionally for a while,” said Stevens. Even though he would be satisfied if his career were to end today it was apparent that he would still like to use this opportunity that Lane United FC has given him in order to further his playing career. Stevens would love to be playing soccer somewhere in between PDL (Premier Developmental League) soccer and MLS (Major League Soccer) soccer. “Just playing at this level is what I’ve always dreamed about doing”.