Kicking around a dream

I just expect better kids than me so I can learn from them. I want to have a good time in Oregon, Cabiles said. It's just a learning experience. If I make the team, that's great. If not, that's good too.

Cabiles has steadily moved up the youth soccer ranks in a short period of time. David's father, Rick, credits a move he made when David was 10. Rick pulled David off his Belmont team and sent him to play on an 12-and-under team on the eastside of Redwood City, playing with a squad made up of predominantly Latino players.

I pulled him off the (Belmont) team because of too much pressure on him to perform, Rick Cabiles said.

It was during the time spent in Redwood City that young David realized soccer was a contact sport.

I learned a lot from the Latino players, David said. They don't play dirty, I just learned to play strong and use my body a lot. I learned soccer was a physical game.

Said Rick: Competition is not always so nicey nice. He has learned over the years that niceness only goes so far.

That stint propelled David to the higher echelon of club soccer. It also meant more traveling. He joined a club in Los Altos before it merged with Santa Clara Sporting to form Santa Clara Sporting Academy. SCSA currently has five teams, including an A and B elite team. David plays with the A team. As a result, David travels to Santa Clara two to three times a week before traipsing all over the state participating in various league games and tournaments.

David doesn't mind the travel. His family …

It's not grueling (but) it is work, Rick Cabiles said. [We] try not think about it. is quite costly. But the way we feel, it's such a nice opportunity for him, we can't hold him back. If your kid gets an opportunity to go to Stanford, you can't hold him back.

The whole reason he's [at this level] is because of him. Yes, we do travel more than most people do go to Santa Clara three days a week, play games all over. But we remind him, 'If you don't give 100 percent, we're not going to be doing this any more.'

Not only has David moved from team to team, he has also changed positions. Early on, he played striker and a wing position, which were mostly offensive positions. Now, the offense flows through him as a center midfielder where his responsibilities increased. Not only is he responsible for triggering the offense, he has to chase back on defense and has to work the width of the field.

When I came to my Santa Clara team, [my coach] wanted to try me out in the center and kind of changed the whole way I play (improving my) stamina and keeping possession of the ball, looking up, connecting with the outside, David said. Center midfield has to play all around the field. I love my position.

David's ultimate goal is to play professionally, although Rick realizes that may be a long shot. But it doesn't hurt to dream.

I want to play as long as I can, David said. My biggest goal is to play in Europe, in Spain, for either Barcelona or Real Madrid.

If you're going to dream, might as well dream big.