For Jorge Becerra, Change Equaled Opportunity

If you've ever watched a University of Massachusetts soccer match online, you've more likely than not heard the play-by-play announcer yell, "another save by goalkeeper George Becerra." When you look down at the roster though, you realize George is nowhere to be found. Jorge Becerra, on the other hand, can be seen right at the top and his name will go down in UMass history.

The senior, who transferred from Mt. San Antonio College prior to the 2014 season, ended his career as a Minuteman with seven shutouts this past season which ties for fourth-most in a single-season history at UMass. Becerra also captured All-Atlantic 10 First Team honors becoming the first keeper at UMass to do so since All-American Zack Simmons in 2008.

But Becerra was a star long before playing college soccer as his dad, also named Jorje Becerra, signed him up the second he was eligible to play in Los Angeles at four-years-old. Though Becerra lived and played soccer his entire life in the United States, his roots come from Latin America. His parents are from Guadalajara, Mexico, where Jorge's dad and grandfather starting the family line of playing soccer.

Becerra admitted he was happy his dad threw him into soccer without much choice. "I'm glad he did that because I couldn't see myself playing any other sport. I quickly fell in love with the game and it's great to be able to connect with my family in that way," said the senior.

At first the goalie started playing in Sunday soccer leagues until he was eight-years-old and competitive play became an option. It was at nine-years-old when Becerra was able to join his first club team named Arsenal FC. Club teams in the area were incredibly popular for competitive play all the way until high school. When Jorge finally became a freshman in high school he started playing academy soccer which was one step up from the club level. Ironically, Jorje notes he played for the same team (Arsenal) just one level higher and with new teammates.

The focus was always soccer despite playing some basketball in middle school. After that it became soccer 24-7 as Becerra worked towards getting into college. Becerra chose to go to Mt. San Antonio College in California because of its reputation for being very competitive athletically. "Every sport wanted to be the best sport in the school so we all strived for that, said Becerra. "My first two years there we lost in the national championship both times and it was very heart breaking but also a great experience because it gave me the chance to realize what it feels like to be the best in the state and country."

After excelling during his two years there, Jorge knew he wanted to play for a Division I program. And because he had always lived in California, Jorge also realized it was time for change. He noted that the Southern California culture where he lived is not much different than where his parents are from in Mexico as they go back from time to time to visit the rest of his family.

Pushing himself completely out of his comfort zone, the senior decided to attend UMass for some reasons you might expect and others not so much. One of the most important things for Jorge was the he felt he really could make an impact on the program coming from a school that competed back-to-back national championships. Knowing how to win and compete at a high level taught Becerra so much about the game and helped him develop. His main goal was to be a major contributor to a program that was run professionally and working towards the big picture of being a high-level contender in Division I soccer. He saw UMass as a perfect opportunity.

"The program will continue to get better every day. I see the progress we were able to make over the last two years and I think things are on the right path. The coaching staff and my teammates all feel the same way, which is why I feel the soccer program here is on the rise."

Though Becerra misses the warm California weather he has been so grateful for UMass soccer and says it's been hard to have his time on the pitch end. Jorge notes that though the end of the season was incredibly emotional, he's not ready to give up the sport just yet."

"The thoughts after the A-10 Tournament that ran through my head were just sadness and hurt. I fell in love with the sport at such a young age and it will forever be apart of my life. My dream has always been to play professionally and that's my next goal to accomplish."

Though wanting to continue soccer, Becerra has majored in sociology with the hopes of going to law school. He says he'd like to become a public defender so that he can help those who can't afford to hire a lawyer. It aligns along with his consistent attitude of using his talents to help others as he speaks on wanting to make a difference in people's lives who may not have the luxury of hiring a lawyer due to financial circumstances.

As the final months approach for his time in the Bay State, Becerra notes that he has appreciated the uniqueness of the Commonwealth - everything from saying "wicked" and enjoying the Western Mass lifestyle after only knowing big city life. He will still go by the pronunciation of "George" to his friends, but he finally revealed that his family calls him Jorge (HOR-hay). He freely admits the cross-pronunciation is because his classmates early in life had hard time pronouncing his name when he started school so his parents just told him to introduce himself as George.

But no matter how you say his name, Becerra knows he made the most of his time at UMass where he was able to meet a group of great people and help be a building block for the rising men's soccer program. Next on his list is graduation before getting ready for, once again, another big change.

Brittany Collens is a senor on the women's tennis team and a staff writer for www.UMassAthletics.com. In addition to her work in the Athletics Department, Collens has also been a writer for the Daily Collegian and a host on UVC-TV Sports Weekly.

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Jorge Becerra

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics