It takes a lot of sacrifice to become a proficient soccer player, but Las Positas College freshman midfielder Leonardo "Leo" Barajas also makes significant sacrifices just to attend college.

A gifted and dedicated player, Barajas starts his journeys to the picturesque Livermore campus at about 6:30 a.m. He walks from his Oakland residence to the San Leandro BART station and travels to the Dublin/Pleasanton stop, where he buses to Las Positas.

On the field, Barajas, a former mainstay in the San Jose Earthquakes Academy, competes with "unbelievable skill," says Hawks coach Andy Cumbo, one of Barajas' many admirers.

Oakland is not known for producing high-level soccer talent, but Barajas is a notable exception.

"I'm just a normal player, to be honest," Barajas says modestly. "A lot of my teammates look up to me just because of where I come from and my experience in soccer, but I just intend to help them out as much as possible. When they're down, try to help 'em up."

The Hawks are enjoying another successful season, at 10-4-2 overall and 7-1 in the Coast Conference-North Division. They defeated Ohlone-Fremont 4-0 on Tuesday when "Leo played amazing; best performance this year," Cumbo said,

Barajas' impressive dedication in so many areas adds an aura of triumph to his emerging story. He agrees that going through "a lot" growing up in Oakland helped him learn how to handle adversity.

"It's been a roller coaster, to be honest, and it has made me deal with my emotions better and problem-solving better too," Barajas says of his Oakland experience.

Clearly, Cumbo enjoys having Barajas in the Hawks soccer family. His playing ability speaks for itself.

"Great presence on both sides of the ball, excellent positioning and reading the game." Cumbo says. "Very disciplined and hard working."

Barajas also made great personal sacrifices to compete with the Earthquakes Academy for about seven years, beginning at the age of 12. He saw a lot of time with the first team, competed in national tournaments and played for the club's Reno affiliate. Earthquakes Technical Director Chris Leitch can't say enough good things about him.

"Leo's been with us a long time. He's a really good young man, really good player," said Leitch, a former Earthquakes head coach. "He's from the Oakland area, just a gritty young man. He sacrificed a lot to be in our academy. He's been with us through thick and thin. He's a player that after every single training, 'Coach, what can I do better?'"

Leitch is excited to see that Barajas, who emerged from an area where soccer players don't have many opportunities to be seen, is playing for Cumbo, a "really good coach."

"It's a feel-good story. Leo's a really good young man," Leitch says.

Barajas' soccer career got rolling at the age of 12 when Guillermo Jara, his physical education teacher at Lionel Wilson Prep in Oakland, discovered him. Jara played for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy from 1996-98 after being picked No. 7 overall in the 1996 MLS College Draft.

"He saw me play and he took me to a tryout, because at the time he was a coach for San Jose Earthquakes Academy," Barajas recalls. "I tried out and I made it, that's the day it all started."



Barajas said his time with the Earthquakes "helped me learn the game even more, the coaches and the staff and Earthquakes, obviously, they helped me go to the next level. They helped me open my eyes and helped learn more professional things in soccer."

Now Barajas, who is interested in studying Kinesiology and automobile engineering, has his sights set on reaching higher levels on the pitch.

"My goal is to get to DII or a DI school, and after that it's my dream to play pro after college," he says.

So, the ride continues for the young man on the BART train. He's on the right track, in soccer and life.