For Guilherme Reis, coming to ETSU has been one of the best decisions he has made since getting involved with soccer at a young age. The junior from Belo Horizonte, Brazil comes from a part of the world where soccer is very big and, for most people, a part of everyday life.Reis began playing soccer when he was 8 years old with the support of his parents.

“I started playing when I was young with a game called futsal,” Reis said. “Everyone in Brazil starts with futsal, which is a game used to develop the skill of a player.”

Futsal is similar to indoor soccer. Instead of walls, there are lines drawn on the ground for boundaries. Also, there are only five players allowed on the court for each team. The game was made for teaching players how to play in small spaces and with a fast pace of play.

After spending three years playing futsal, Reis began playing soccer for the Brazilian Cruzeiro Soccer Academy. Reis traveled all over the country and abroad, facing some of the best competition in the world while playing for Cruzeiro. Reis was one of over 500 kids to try out for Cruzeiro, with only two or three players making the squad at each tryout. At Cruzeiro, boys in Brazil are given the opportunity to train for soccer and go to school. Reis said it was very similar to a boarding school.

“In Brazil, the thought is you have to go to school and learn to be a good soccer player,” said Reis. “There are many people who want the chance to play soccer and go to school, so you could say I am lucky to have been able to do both.”

After spending five years with Cruzeiro, Reis was moved to another soccer academy for a couple of years to increase his skill. Reis then moved on to Atletico, the rival of Cruzeiro, a team he rooted against for many years.

“I wasn’t happy playing for them,” Reis said. “But I realized in soccer you have to go to where the opportunity is.”

After spending two years with Atletico, Reis decided he wanted to concentrate on his education. Reis then accepted an offer from Alabama-Huntsville to come to the States and play soccer while working on a degree.

“About five years ago you didn’t really hear of anyone coming to the U.S. to play soccer, but now there are opportunities for people like me to come play and get a degree,” Reis said. “It is really good for me since it is hard to go to a university back at home because they are so expensive.”

In Brazil, for a person to make it in soccer is tough. Every kid grows up wanting to play professional soccer. There aren’t any other sports being played in Brazil, and even today kids are signing contracts to play professionally in Brazil and abroad.

Reis gets his inspiration to play soccer from his parents, and the sacrifices they made for him. When Reis was young, his father pushed him to play the sport, knowing that if Reis was good, he had a chance at a good education.

Since coming to the U.S., Reis was forced to adapt his game to the many different styles of play he encountered while playing in college. Reis grew up playing a very technical style of football, but now he has become a more physical player.

“I think it’s good that I get to see all of these different styles of play,” said Reis. “It only makes me a better and more complete player. I think I am a stronger player now than when I was playing in Brazil.”

Having played in the States for the past three years, Reis has noticed the players here are in great physical shape, and that he’s had to work harder to stay at their level.

Because of Reis’ knowledge of the game, the coaches and players alike have started to rely on his leadership.

“I try my best to play well and be a leader for the team,” Reis said. “Hopefully we can finish the season in a good spot and do well in the postseason.”

Playing in the backfield and coming from a style of play where communication is essential, Reis feels right at home leading the way for ETSU. He realizes the wealth of talent ETSU has, and compares them to teams he has played for in Brazil.

The returning Bucs said that his support is something the team was missing in the program’s first year, and that it will greatly benefit ETSU in 2009.

Many of the players look to Reis for support not only on how to fix things with their game, but also when they do well. Not only is Reis happy to be a part of his own development as a soccer player, but also the development of his teammates.

“His leadership off the field is equally valuable,” said head coach Scott Calabrese. “He confronts problems and issues head on, and that makes some players uncomfortable. It is vital to have this kind of leader on the team, because in the end he is speaking the truth and his aim is only to improve the team or players performance.”

“When it comes to taking on the role of a leader I have learned a lot,” Reis said. “I really enjoy being a part of what is going on here at ETSU.”

“Guilherme was a critical addition to our team,” Calabrese said. “He is a very composed and intelligent player. He reads the game very well. His ability to organize the back four to prevent breakdowns or step in himself at a critical moment to lay down a tackle, has improved our defending considerably. I also believe our younger players have learned a great deal from Guilherme as he helps them understand how to position themselves and better anticipate the play.

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