KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Completing his recovery from a broken foot was a big part of Roger Espinoza's offseason. But it's not the part he warms most to talking about.
Sporting Kansas City's veteran midfielder spent five days in his native Honduras last month, part of his new position as a volunteer partner with the humanitarian nonprofit Unbound, and came away inspired to do even more in the future.
“I always wanted to do something like this,” Espinoza told reporters last week during Sporting's preseason media day. “I never had the opportunity to do it. Luckily, I was able to meet some great people in Kansas City last year who work in nonprofit foundations, so that made it available for me to go to Honduras and connect with the people there who need the help.”
As part of his visit, Espinoza put on a soccer clinic for children and teens in the city of Santa Barbara.
“It was unbelievable to me to see so many kids' faces happy and willing to do things and be there and work hard,” he said. “It made me very emotional at the time. It was great, and something that I definitely would love to do again.”
Espinoza, a two-time World Cup veteran with the Honduran national team, moved to the United States with his family as a child.
“I didn't leave when I was 1 or 2 years old,” he said. “I remember everything – my childhood friends, my family, the culture. That has stayed with us, although the American culture has, too. But when I went to the national team, I became closer to the people of Honduras and realized the problems of the country. You definitely want to help at some point.”
And while he's now a US citizen, he saw himself in many of the kids who attended the clinic.
“I didn't move to the United States until I was 11 years old,” he said. “Some of these kids were, like, 6 years old. So that was me. Obviously, I had some 15-to-18-year-olds, so I wasn't there at that time. But when I was with those kids, I thought about me growing up in the United States, and I'm happy that my family was able to move to the United States for more opportunities for me. That was one of the reasons I was there because I definitely want those opportunities to be the same way for those kids in Honduras.
“We're a very small country, so I don't think it should be difficult for that to happen,” he went on. “Hopefully, I started a trend there – we started a trend there – and it keeps going forward. I know a lot of players who play in MLS, Honduran players, want to do that, too. So hopefully, we keep going forward with that.”
In the meantime, though, Espinoza – who rejoined Sporting before the 2015 season after two years in England with Wigan Athletic – has to reassert himself in a crowded midfield after a broken sesamoid bone in his left foot ended his year in August.
Manager Peter Vermes had hoped to bring Espinoza back in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, along with center back Ike Opara, but an agonizing shootout loss to eventual champion Portland in the Knockout Round cut that plan short.
“It's been a long five months, six months, you know? Right when the season was over, I was ready to come back,” Espinoza said. “Missing all those months kind of makes you want to come back right away.”
Vermes is ready to have him back, but Espinoza will have to show that he can stay healthy, the manager said during a news conference last week.
“He's like everybody else,” Vermes said. “He's got to fight for his position and make sure that he's the guy we're going to count on. Obviously, you know what I think of Roger – the capabilities that he has on the field – but at the same time, we need guys that are going to be healthy and guys who are going to be able to play. That's all part of it.”
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Espinoza said he's up to that challenge.
“I feel great,” he said. “The good thing about MLS is the offseason is usually longer than other offseasons, but MLS is also a very competitive league, very physical. This long break definitely did help me. Stuff happens for a reason, so I'm not complaining about the injury. It definitely gave me a long break.”
And while he's headed into his ninth professional season, Espinoza doesn't hear the clock ticking just yet.
“I feel young,” he said. “I'm only 29. It's better now because you don't get as nervous as when you're young. Now you know what to do. You know what to expect in preseason. You know how to get ready for games. You know when to take a break. You know the coaches. It feels a lot easier to speak to them.
“It's a good relationship, so it's definitely better being this age and helping the younger guys come in – like, at one point, some of the older guys did with me.”
Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.
