Daily News boys soccer player of the year, Birmingham’s Daniel Romero. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham Charter boys soccer player Daniel Romero can clearly remember going to a Patriots soccer game when he was an an eighth-grader.
“The atmosphere, the people communicating, helping each other, the way that they brought each other up and just being around people that wanted the same goal as you,” Romero recalled. “I wanted that ever since I was little.”
Romero has fulfilled those characteristics for the last four years with the Birmingham soccer team. His subtle leadership abilities and skills as a defender have led him to multiple honors this season, including Daily News boys soccer player of the year.
Thirteen out of Birmingham’s 17 wins this season came by way of shutout, with Romero anchoring the group at center back.
One of the most gratifying shutouts for him was a 2-0 win over El Camino Real in the CIF City Section Division I championship.
It was the Patriots’ second consecutive Division I title.
“It was something I had planned to do ever since my first year here — going back-to-back, winning double rings,” Romero said. “We stayed City champs, and we held it here at Birmingham. It always belongs here.”
Nearly every season brought a different position for Romero. He started at midfielder for his freshman and sophomore year, then moved to right back his junior year and ended up at center back as a senior.
He said each position brought a new perspective and all the while, he was able to help teammates who were struggling or unsure of themselves. All of this earned him respect.
“The way he plays definitely shows he’s a leader,” Birmingham head coach Gus Villalobos said. “When we were deciding on captains, everybody knew it was Danny. I didn’t even have to bring it up.”
Villalobos was in his first season as head coach after succeeding EB Madha, who coached Birmingham for 23 years and led the Patriots to five City Section titles.
The new head coach had been involved with the program as an assistant for many seasons and used his experience as a professional player to bring newness to the team, like team bonding in the form of a group chat and tweaks to the Patriots’ style of play.
Romero helped bridge the gap between the two head coaches as a captain and a four-year player.
“I was just trying to keep everyone in place and in the same circle as before because we all wanted the same goal this year,” he said. “We needed communication and to be a family unit. Even though the switch happened, we kept our rhythm going and made it happen again.”
Romero will continue his playing career at Mission College with the goal of transferring to a four-year program. He’s had success in soccer through wins and awards, but the bigger payoff of the sport has been more intangible.
“It’s like my safe space,” he said. “It helped me with my communication skills, and my abilities to work with others and to adapt to others. A lot of things can happen in the world, but once you find something you’re used to, it’s something you want to do always. That’s what soccer did to me.”
Related Articles
Notre Dame baseball edges Servite in National Classic semifinals
Oaks Christian track and field ready for tough Arcadia Invitational competition
Four-run rally gives El Dorado baseball walk-off win over Granada Hills in National Classic
How one-way communication devices are affecting high school baseball
Daily News boys volleyball: No shortage of competition in West Valley League