Editor’s Note: Brad Davis from Houston, Texas, one of the newest Mossy Oak pros, is living the dream of every youngster who plays soccer, and every soccer parent who takes sons or daughters to soccer practice every day and games on Saturday. Davis plays for the Houston Dynamo (www.houstondynamo.com) a major league soccer team, and is a member of the United States Men’s National Team. Davis, who played in the World Cup representing the United States this year, is an avid bowhunter and a gun hunter.
Being able to play for the U.S. Men’s National Team is one of the greatest honors a soccer player ever can achieve. The coach of the national team can pick any players he wants and bring them into a camp. The players have to demonstrate their skills and have to qualify to be considered to play on the national team and play for the World Cup. This year, the coach selected 30 players from all over the United States to come to a World Cup camp, and I was fortunate enough to be one of those 30. The training we had to do to prepare for the World Cup was really tough. I felt it was more of a survival camp than just soccer training. After the camp was over, the coach picked 23 players to compete as the U.S. Men’s National Team in the World Cup. I was extremely fortunate to be one of those 23 guys. This was my lifelong dream to go to the biggest soccer stage in the world and represent my country. Every youngster, who kicks a soccer ball, who goes to practice every day, who plays hard on the weekends, and who goes to state, regional, and national tournaments, dreams of one day being able to be America’s representative in the World Cup.
When I've been asked, “What did you like about World Cup soccer?” I have a real simple answer. “Everything.” Just the idea of being one of only 23 people in the nation chosen to represent your country is just overwhelming to me. To represent your country at that level of play is not only unbelievable it’s indescribable. The feeling that came over me when I walked out with my team with the flag and hearing our national anthem involved emotions that just couldn’t be described. It had to be felt.
I’m often asked, “What was being at the World Cup like?” My explanation is: “You have to be a part of that to really understand the emotion. It’s truly overwhelming.” We were able to play four games at the World Cup. For me, one of the most-exciting moments of the whole World Cup event was when we scored a goal about 20 seconds into our first World Cup game. We were tied at the end of the first game, and one of the members of our team scored a winning point on a corner kick. That was another one of those moments that was indescribable. You had to be a part of it to feel it. That goal enabled us to win that game 2 to 1. The result was much like what the home team would feel when their basketball team had driven down the court with 6 seconds left to make a shot, the basketball player shot, and as the buzzer went off with the ball in the air, he scored.
Day 3: Playing Major League Soccer and Bowhunting Deer Have Many Similarities
Tomorrow: Brad Davis Explains Why He Needs Hunting to Play His Best Soccer
