Video: Footballer Jalen Harvey On Bermuda
Bermuda football player Jalen Harvey is the focus of an interview by YouTuber Sarah Gorden in which he contrasts growing up on the island and now playing for DePaul University in Chicago, where he says, “coming from Bermuda is a lot different from here.”
Ms. Gorden says, “America is the leader in many sports, but men’s soccer – the most popular sport in the world – is not one of them. Despite that, the DePaul men’s soccer team has a number of players who were born and raised in countries where soccer is the nation’s past time.
“Jalen Harvey is a junior on the men’s team, and where he comes from, the weather is always warm and the game of soccer is always being played.”
Mr. Harvey opens his interview by saying, “Coming from Bermuda is a lot different from here. Weather is kind of the same the whole year round, between sixty and eighty degree weather.
“It’s a 20 mile island, so it’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone. Soccer is the number one sport there, and we have cricket as well.”
Ms. Gorden continued, “But despite the love for soccer in Bermuda, Jalen’s goal was always to play in America, and he’s not the only one. Senior Anthony Hunter is also from Bermuda.”
DePaul Soccer’s Jalen Harvey on his strong Bermuda connection:
“As a member of the Bermuda Men’s National Team, Jalen Harvey will be competing in the World Cup qualifiers next month against Bahamas.”
Mr. Harvey said, “Obviously we’re hoping to win that game. We’ve never made it to the World Cup – we’re a 20 mile island with 70,000 people. It’s a bit difficult playing against countries as big as the US, Germany who just won the World Cup.”
Ms. Gorden said, “But Bermuda isn’t the only team that’s faced challenges; the DePaul men’s soccer team has had it rough too over the past few years, going 4-10-4 overall last fall.
“But Harvey hopes to bring his worldly experience back to DePaul to help make his team even better.”
Mr. Harvey said, “Obviously, you get that experience playing against those other countries, and coming back to DePaul, I think I can hopefully share that experience with my teammates and help my team have a better season than we have had so far.”
Ms. Gorden finishes the interview by saying, “And although many aspects of life are different in Bermuda than they are here in Chicago, one thing translates the same, and that’s the love, dedication, and sacrifice for the game of soccer.”
