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His home is on the pitch

Your Dream is Our Dream: Allister Allan

Byron Center — Allister Allan has played soccer since he was 3.

Around age 9, he began playing for Midwest United FC; that team, he said, convinced him that the sport should be part of his future career plans. 

Now as a freshman, Allister plays on Byron Center High School’s varsity soccer team. When he’s not representing the Bulldogs on the field, Allister plays as a defender for the Michigan Futbol Academy’s Revolution 09B Elite team and participates in US Youth Soccer’s Olympic Development Program. 

He also closely follows European football, especially the English Premier League. 

“Tottenham (Hotspur F.C.) is my favorite team and my favorite player is Son Heung-min,” he said. 

Off the field, Allister is putting his efforts into his academics (and attempting to convince his mom why he needs a “Son” jersey). School News Network spoke with him about his dreams for the future.

Playing varsity as a freshman, Allister Allan competes for the Byron Center Bulldogs in a game against the Kalamazoo Central Giants (courtesy)

What is your dream? “My dream is to go to college and play Division 1 soccer. I’d like to go to Michigan State University, but I’ll play for whoever offers for me to play for them.”

Why is this your dream? “Every time I’m playing, I’m having so much fun and you’re with the people you love to be around all the time.”

But, he added, “I feel like academics are an important thing for me if the soccer dream doesn’t work out. I would like to go to MSU and pursue education there while getting to play soccer, something (in the) math and science route. I enjoy those more than any other subjects.”

How are school and your teachers helping you achieve your dream? “I feel like Mr. (Jared) Crandell, my history teacher, really makes me think about things other than history and more like my personal goals and everything. He’s very positive and motivational and teaches us more than just history; he teaches us about life and pursuing our goals.”

Read more from Byron Center: 
Teacher-designed classrooms help students feel supported, calm and creative
It takes a community to stage a musical

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Alexis Stark
Alexis Stark
Alexis Stark is a reporter covering Byron Center, Caledonia, Godfrey-Lee, Kenowa Hills and Thornapple Kellogg. She grew up in metro Detroit and her journalism journey brought her west to Grand Rapids via Michigan State University where she covered features and campus news for The State News. She also co-authored three 100-question guides to increase understanding and awareness of various human identities, through the MSU School of Journalism. Following graduation, she worked as a beat reporter for The Ann Arbor News, covering stories on education, community, prison arts and poetry, before finding her calling in education reporting and landing at SNN. Alexis is also the author of a poetry chapbook, “Learning to Sleep in the Middle of the Bed.”

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