In his early teens, Raul Baltazar was anything but an aspiring soccer player. Weighing in at 245 pounds, the soon-to-be high school student seemed more in line for a spot on an American football squad than his school's futbol team.
But somewhere along the line, Baltazar developed a newfound love for playing the beautiful game. As his time playing soccer increased, his weight decreased.
Now, as a senior at Savannah High School in Anaheim, Baltazar weighs a svelte 173 pounds.
And if he can drop the weight, why not try out for a professional soccer team?
Baltazar will be one of 2,000 would-be Chivas USA players at the second annual Sueno MLS tryouts. Baltazar will be one of the hopefuls at the Bell Gardens Sports Center on Sunday.
"Hopefully, I can win it," Baltazar said. "In Mexico, I didn't play a whole lot. I got here and played a lot and I watched Jorge Flores and where he went."
Aside from his dramatic weight change, Baltazar drew inspiration from fellow Anaheim resident Flores. The winner of the inaugural Sueno MLS, Flores has a fan in Baltazar, who proudly proclaimed Flores was among his friends on his MySpace.com page.
"I sent messages to him a lot," Baltazar said. "I always told him to give it his all, to not stop trying."
Flores won a spot on Chivas USA and played for the U.S. under-20 national team, a feat Baltazar hopes he can duplicate.
Though he did not have a background in soccer, Baltazar began to develop his skills upon returning to his native United States. At the age of six, Baltazar moved to Guerrero, Mexico, and lived there for several years. He returned in time to start eighth grade, but his sport of choice was basketball.
However, the chance to play with friends at a local park was too good to pass up. With an increased drive to play soccer and better eating habits, Baltazar's weight began to drop. Soon, his choice of eating versus playing soccer was simple.
"How did I lose the weight? I ate less," Baltazar said. "When I got home from school, instead of eating I'd go run. I knew that I could put the weight back on if I continued to eat like I was so I went to the park and played soccer instead."
As his weight diminished, a newfound quickness emerged.
"When I started to play soccer, I liked to play as a defender," Baltazar said. "But I couldn't run very much so once (an opponent) got past me, I couldn't catch them."
With less mass on his 5-foot-10 frame, another element of Baltazar's game emerged.
"Now that I can run more, I can play more open and I can even dribble my way past players," Baltazar said.
Still, there may be one hang-up for the Anaheim teen. His loyalties lie with a hated rival.
Not that he'd let it stand in his way.
"I root for (Club) America," Baltazar said. "But if I get on as a pro with Chivas, that won't matter."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
