Danny Alzate dreams of playing professional soccer. The Huntington High School senior intends to kick his quest into high gear after he graduates in June. The teenager plans on working, training and playing for Queensboro FC
Queensboro FC’s men’s team will begin playing in the USL Championship, the top tier of the United Soccer League, in 2023.
“Next year will be one of my biggest challenges yet, but I’m ready for it,” Mr. Alzate said. “I’m going to be working and I’m going to be playing for Queensboro FC and I’m going to make my professional soccer dreams a reality in due time.”
Mr. Alzate helped lead Huntington to its first boys’ soccer county final appearance in 57 years last fall. The teenager recorded nine shutouts, including three in playoff games.
“The things that attracted me to soccer were my competitiveness, how fast paced it is and how it’s anybody’s ball game like you saw this year with our soccer team,” Alzate said. “We made it to the final. A couple weeks ago Italy didn’t even qualify for the World Cup and they are one of the top five countries in the world for soccer, but they lost to North Macedonia, a country with a population of two million.”
Mr. Alzate was four years old when he touched a soccer ball for the first time. “The first time I ran up that field, scored my first goal and dove on the ground on that grass, I knew I was born for this,” he said. “My parents and my two older brothers are the ones who got me into soccer. I would be at my brother’s games and I would be the little kid who was running around and diving on the floor with a big smile on my face. Their friends would recognize me as Danny the goalie. My ultimate goal in soccer is to become a professional and reach the highest level I can.”
The Huntington senior is also interested in becoming a business owner. “I don’t know what yet, but I’m going to have my own business,” he said. “I also have interests in building a social media presence on YouTube and Instagram. I’m going to be entertaining, inspiring and just having fun being myself.”
Mr. Alzate will always remember his final season in a Blue Devil soccer uniform. “I will never forget what we created; we created hype at Huntington,” he said. “We brought attention to this town for its soccer team. Something that hasn’t been seen in decades. Our supporters were electric in every playoff game and they supported us until the very end. Finally, we inspired kids to believe because we were a true underdog story. I have had so many kids tell me that they were inspired by me and what the team has done.”
The teenager has enjoyed a very positive experience throughout high school. “The crown jewel of Huntington is the community,” Mr. Alzate said. “For example, alumni who have a graduated five to ten years ago or even longer come back and watch the homecoming football game or come and and watch the playoff soccer games. It’s unprecedented. No other public school on Long Island has a community like Huntington’s.”
Mr. Alzate said he’s done a “fair amount” of traveling over the years. “I’ve travelled to Colombia and have been to the big city of Medellin, where my both my parents and my oldest brother Santi is from,” the senior said. “I have also been to the city of Cartagena, which has roads made of cobblestone and is very popular for having beautiful beaches and tourist sites. I have also been to Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. Colombia was a beauty along with Florida. Miami and Orlando were my favorite places of travel.”
The teenager is determined to make it to the pro ranks. He’s an exceptional goalie so anything is possible.
“I have had a great time in Huntington,” Mr. Alzate said. “I’ve learned many lessons. I have made countless memories. I will never forget my time here. I’m finally ready to face these new challenges that have entered my life.”
