YORK COUNTY — Tabb High School rising sophomore Nathan Lee is spending his summer on the pitch as a member of Lionsbridge FC.
Lee, who began playing soccer in the fifth grade for Virginia Rush, attended an open tryout earlier this year and was offered a spot on the Lionsbridge roster as a midfielder.
Lee is the youngest Lionsbridge player to play for the club since Isaiah Chisholm, something he says is special.
“It means a lot to me. It’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. It’s made me realize how much I’ve grown in the past few years and what this sport means to me,” Lee said.
While he has yet to officially take to the pitch for Lionsbridge this season, Lee remarked that his time with the club has opened his eyes to what it takes to play at the professional level.
“While I haven’t played, it’s a lot harder than I expected. Everything is much more quicker and physical than I’m used to. The intensity level is way different. At high school practice, a lot of times the guys are joking around and messing around, whereas at the Lionsbridge practices, it’s all business. The guys play hard, they know when to mess around and when not to,” Lee said.
While it hasn’t yet sunk in that he’s playing at a semi-professional level, Lee says the game is what truly makes him happy.
“Whenever something bad happens or I’m not feeling or I’m down, I play soccer and it takes my mind off everything,” Lee said.
As he spends his summer on the Lionsbridge pitch, Lee has had an opportunity to focus on his next goal — landing a scholarship to play college soccer. He still hasn’t forgotten about ‘little Nathan’ and his dream to play professional soccer, however.
“Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own way and their own path. When you compare yourself to someone who has already done it, it makes you seem insignificant, but you don’t know where you are going to do it or what you are going to do, so just keep working every single day,” Lee said.
Lionsbridge will host its next home game on June 14 when it takes on the Charlotte Blues at 7 p.m. at TowneBank Stadium. For tickets and more information, visit lionsbridgefc.com.