Junior Jake Totty’s dreams lead him to Spain

Totty begins his professional soccer career in Spain

From Missouri State Champion to full time international soccer player. It may seem like a dream, but that’s just what has happened to junior Jake Totty. Totty was like any normal high schooler a year ago, doing school work for seven hours a day then practicing soccer for an hour and half at night. Now he’s a full time soccer player in Spain.

“We practice soccer twice a day for two hours a day and usually have one-two games a week; I have school from 11a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and either one, two, or three classes a day,” Totty said.

Totty is a striker for his team in Spain, meaning he is one of the rotating players who plays the farthest forward. As a striker, Totty is responsible for scoring goals.

“Knowing that I’m here for a reason and that this opportunity could change my life if it’s meant to,” Totty said.

With all this training, he sees his skills increasing.

“My most enjoyable moment was scoring my first goal in my first friendly (a friendly is a practice game between two teams) against a Division III professional team, because it showed me that I truly do have the ability to achieve my dream,” Totty said.

Even with this accomplishment, Totty does miss home. He comes back in late December for a three week break.

“I am going to go home and see my mom and then my dad, then hopefully have time at night to go see my closest friends,” Totty said.

For Totty’s friends and family back in the states, it feels like something has gone missing.

“Well not seeing him is tough because it’s one less kid I can joke around with. But honestly I miss joking and having fun with my buddy,” junior Alex Piwowarski said.

“It’s weird not seeing Jake every day over the summer and now we can’t see him until December,” junior Alex Brisso said.