By Rigoberto Aguilar
Following an impressive collegiate career, soccer star Omar Grey has taken his game to the professional level, signing a one-year deal with the MLS team Houston Dynamo. He’s hoping to return to the Jamaica National Team very soon.
Grey began his collegiate career at the University of New Mexico, where he was an extraordinary striker his freshman year. He later transferred to California State University, Northridge, and became a key player for the matadors for two years. He had one goal and one assist in addition to his 30 games as a starting midfielder or center-back.
During his last season, Grey decided to return home to play for the University of Washington. The Huskies were ranked #1 in the nation, where they won the pac-12 and returned to the NCAA tournament. After a great season at UW, Grey decided it was time to prepare for his transition to the professional level.
In an engaging conversation with Grey, he spoke highly of his journey through college soccer and frequently mentioned God. As a man of faith, he directs his success to God, claiming no glory for himself.
Aguilar: What or who would you credit your success to?
Grey: How can I fail, all my steps are ordained by God.
We briefly touched on the topic of how the University of Washington prepared him for the professional level.
“The standard at UW is so high that you have no choice but to work hard to be great or someone is there to replace you,” said Grey.
He also spoke positively about the coaches and staff.
“Coach Jamie Clark has coached several professional players. Simply listening to him and being coachable made it easier for me to prepare for the professional ranks,” said Grey.
Grey analyzed how he wound up going to the Houston Dynamo and the process that it involved.
“I took the trial last minute, with only a two-day notice. I had to pack a bag and get ready to perform at my best for a contract. I went in confident because of the way the program at UW was designed – the professionalism came as second nature and the performance was expected from myself,” said Grey
A few days later, the Dynamo signed Grey to a one-year contract. The contract included moving Grey directly out of college to the second team, including options for training and playing with the starting team.
A typical day during the preseason for Grey is to “wake up around 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. to shower and pray. The reporting time at the facility is 8:20 a.m. Then, we train for about an hour and a half or two hours. Usually, either recovery or weight session follows after training, and then, you arrive home around 1 to 2 p.m.”
Grey said that the amount of free time is insane. He recently started learning to play the piano and became a “movie connoisseur.”
Grey expressed interest in starting a Podcast about his daily life, conversations he’s interested in, and much more. His idea is to show people an alternate side of a professional athlete. His goals will be to “entertain and educate.”
Grey is humble yet motivated to break into the first team in Houston. He hopes to reach the Jamaican National team level he once represented as a young boy.
He also hopes to give back to the community that raised him in South Seattle. He hopes that he is a role model and someone to look up to from the area.
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