00:00I can't believe this, you know, I can't believe, you know, coming from that and now I'm actually in the
00:06biggest stage playing, you know, against, you know, against one of the, some of the best country and also in
00:15front of millions of people.
00:17So, you know, it was, it was something that I had to go through and also, you know, that's what
00:24made me the person that I am today, you know, going through that difficulties and the struggles as a child,
00:30you know, coming from Haiti and today I'm here.
00:32So it's a, it's an amazing feeling. It was not easy, you know, I grew up, you know, some, some
00:40days not having anything to eat or my mother had to, you know, choose between whether she was going to
00:48eat that day just to feed us and I wasn't the only child.
00:53So, you know, and also just the, just the environment that was there, you know, and, and playing in the
01:04street with no football boots, using oranges as a way to play football because it was so small.
01:13So you, when you, when you, when you kick it, you would hit rocks and sometimes there's broken glass, you
01:20know, on the street where it would go into your foot.
01:24We, we didn't have the money to go to the hospital, so you would have to take it out and
01:28you couldn't walk for days because it was falling.
01:31So all those things was, you know, it, exactly.
01:36So seeing what's happening today, it's, it's a blessing for me.
01:40And I know that some of those things that I went through, there's other kids that's going through that also.
01:48Maybe it's not only in Haiti, but other countries also, you know, and this is why I feel so blessed
01:54to be here and lucky to be here because not everybody get to tell that, that, that sort of story,
02:01you know,
02:01because a lot of people have the same story, but they never got the opportunity to, to be able to
02:06say, you know,
02:08and today I'm very happy to be here and, you know, representing where I came from and also representing what
02:17gave me everything, which is Boston.
02:20So it's a, it's amazing to be here.
02:22The World Cup is, it's, it's so important for me and also the country because there's a lot going on
02:30in Haiti right now, you know,
02:32with everything that's going on in the country, you know, people look at us as hope, as happiness.
02:40When they see us play, the mood change in the country.
02:43Before we played the first game, everybody was in the street.
02:48Imagine, seven in the morning until the game starts, you know, people was gathering all together, watching the game live.
02:57There was no gunfire, there was no fight, there was nothing.
03:02It was just focus on the Haitian national team, you know, and, and we know what that means for the
03:08country, you know.
03:09So we're just trying to represent them in the best way and, and, and also this is why we, we
03:15fight so hard because we know that there's a lot that the country is going against
03:20and there's a lot that's going on and we're still, as the, as a player and also as a team,
03:27we're representing the country in the best way right now.
03:31And everybody now wants to learn more about Haiti.
03:34They want to know what's going on, which is something that you don't see before.
03:38So I'm really happy to be part of that and I know that my teammates also are really happy and
03:44we just now showing people that, okay, we, you know, Haiti do have the, the talent and the quality, you
03:51know, to play in this competition.
03:53Yes, definitely, because what you see on TV about Haiti is, it's not always good, you know, with what's going
04:01on.
04:02But with all that, we were able to come together and make this happen.
04:08Not everybody can say that.
04:11It's, when you ever heard a team who, who's going, or a country that's going through all these difficulties with
04:17all this situation, you know,
04:20we, we're not like other countries where we have a lot of funds, we don't have that, you know, so
04:25having to do that, the way we did it, it's, it's, people always going to look at Haiti in a
04:33different way because we didn't let that affect what the goal was, you know, and today we're here.
04:40So it's, it's, it's to, it's to help, it's to help the kids, but also in, in, in a way
04:45of creating a pathway to Europe to play in the, to play in the, to play in the professional league,
04:52you know, to have a chance, to have a tryout, you know, an opportunity, you know, and also to give
04:58them the exposure, trying to make people learn more about the country, to actually want to come to the country
05:03and watch these kids play, you know.
05:05And I think that's only going to bring a positive light in the country also, you know, if one, if
05:11you go and you see how it is, now you can go back and say, you know what, Haiti was
05:15not so bad.
05:17And you're going to be like, even the food was amazing too, you know, so, so, you know, it's really
05:23important for me because I, I also want to help the next kid, you know, because in my career I
05:30had a lot of people that helped me get in here.
05:32I didn't get here on my own, you know, I had the, the, the mentality and the, and the hard
05:38work ethic, but I had people, good people around me that was helping me along the way, you know.
05:45So even in the U.S., not everything my dad could do for me, even with the, everything that he
05:51was doing with the jobs, boots are expensive, you know.
05:56Playing on the travel team are expensive.
05:59How, how do you think I get on that team?
06:02Somebody say, no, it's okay, he didn't have, he doesn't have to pay.
06:06My dad couldn't drive me to go to, to, to play because my academy was so far from where I
06:13lived.
06:13My academy was in New Hampshire.
06:15New Hampshire is one hour from where I live.
06:17So sometimes I had to walk 20, 35 minutes to a bus stop where somebody that was going to, to
06:25training, I could go with them.
06:26And we came back from training late, 10, 11 p.m. because it's so far.
06:31I didn't want them to go all the way, drive 35 minutes to drop me at my house.
06:36So I just walk, and my dad had to just pick me up halfway, you know.
06:41So if I didn't have them helping me along the way, I probably wouldn't be here today, you know.
06:48So I'm, I'm, I'm really happy, you know, I'm, I'm here today.
06:52And, you know, these people can actually see that, okay, what I did for him, he did something with that.
06:57Yes, I always imagine scoring every game.
07:00I always go into the games and say I'm going to score in every game.
07:04But I know I'm at least going to have a chance.
07:08I always say that to myself.
07:11That's always been my mentality.
07:13It doesn't matter what's going on.
07:14It doesn't matter who I'm playing against.
07:17I'm going to have a chance.
07:20I'm going to do everything that I can to score.
07:23If it doesn't happen, I always believe it is for a reason.
07:26If I'm going to score tomorrow, I will score because I will get opportunity.
07:31But if it doesn't happen, I know that I'm going to, I know that I'm going to compete enough where
07:37people are going to say,
07:39you know what, he gave everything that he had.
07:41So that's, that's always been my mentality since a young kid until now.
07:47Yeah, I have this celebration.
07:50So, so whenever I, whenever I score, I call all my fans, everybody that's watching me.
07:55You just got to pick up.
07:56You got to make sure you're, so you have to pick up.
08:01So if, if I call tomorrow, you pick up.
08:04All right.
08:05So markers, tomorrow if I score, don't forget, pick up the phone.
08:09All right.
08:09All right.
08:11You know, this was because my parents is big on education.
08:16That was the first thing.
08:17They say it doesn't matter if you're good at football or whatever the case, you're going to school.
08:23So, and I always believe I'm the type of person who always wants to make a change, you know,
08:28and not just in society in general, you know, and life and, and just in people, you know,
08:38and it's something that I've always wanted to do.
08:41And that's why I went and, and studied, you know, criminology and, because this was a major
08:47that, that allowed me to pick whatever I wanted to do.
08:51If I wanted to, to be a lawyer, I could have go, I could have do more schooling after my
08:57bachelor's,
08:57you know, in order to do that.
08:59If I wanted to become a regular cop, I could have just, after I got my bachelor's degree,
09:04I would have went to the police academy, then go there and go to the process, but I wanted to
09:09do something more.
09:11You know, that was more me, you know, something that was important to me.
09:16If tomorrow something big has happened, who do you, who do you think is going to, they're going to call,
09:21right?
09:22Exactly.
09:23So, they're going to call the FBI whenever something big has happened.
09:27So, this was me, something I always wanted to do, and I also wanted to make a change in society
09:32in a positive way.
09:35And, you know, and I said, I'm going to do that, and let's see what happens after my career.
09:42Maybe I will do it, maybe I will not.
09:44It just depends where I am and how I feel, you know.
09:47But I know I have that option, you know.
09:50Having options is always good, because at the end of the day, I can stop football right now
09:55and say I want to do this, because I can.
09:57And this is why I thank my parents, because they were on me to go to school, you know, to
10:03finish, you know, my education.
10:05And today, you know, I can do the same for my son, you know.
10:09So, you know, this is, it's a blessing.
10:13I'm good in my life, yeah.
10:16If this happens, you become like the first professional player to become an ABA agent.
10:23Yes.
10:23That's amazing.
10:24Yes, yes, yes, I know, I know.
10:26A lot of people, even a lot of my teammates, they didn't know this about me, because I'm really quiet,
10:32you know,
10:32and I stay, you know, really humble in my place.
10:37You know, some of them don't even know I finished all my school, you know.
10:41But when they heard that, even, like, the club that I played for, they're like, oh, you finished your school?
10:45Yeah, why is that a surprise, you know.
10:48So, you know, I'm just happy I was able to do that and that I have options.
10:52And also, it's one, it's another thing to prove my parents, like, all the hard work that you guys did
10:59for me was not for no reason, you know.
11:02So today, my dad's going to be here, my mother's going to be here, my son is going to be
11:07here, everybody's going to be here.
11:08So seeing them, it's just like everything was worth it.
Comentarios