How I Got Here: Justin Dominique ’23

Forget bending it like Beckham, this soccer forward wants to crush it like Cristiano

Words by David Pavlak

Forget bending it like Beckham, this soccer forward wants to crush it like Cristiano

I’m a forward because I like the pressure — I embrace it. I want to be the player that when the game is on the line, my team looks to me for a game-winning play.

In my first-ever collegiate game, there were 44 seconds left and there was a bounce off of a corner kick. I one-touched the ball into the back of the net to tie the game. Scoring that goal was pure ecstasy. I ran to the bench and hugged everyone. It doesn’t get better than that.

My dad and I have the same passion for soccer. My parents were both born and raised in Haiti; there you went to school, helped your parents, and then went to the fields to play.

My father’s joy for the game is contagious and that spread to me. To this day, I still hear stories about how my dad was one of the best players in his neighborhood. We still watch soccer games together and kick the ball around in the backyard.

My parents love coming to the games to watch me play. Looking up into the stands and being able to pick them out is a feeling that motivates me to keep going.

Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal is one of my favorite soccer players and arguably one of the best athletes in the world. His skill and admiration for the game, whether during a scrimmage or playing for a championship, drives him to always compete to the best of his abilities. I try to model my game based on that mindset.

I feel I still have a lot to prove. We didn’t make the playoffs in 2019, so that is a goal of mine. I also want to win the NJAC Championship.

I’m an exercise science major and want to become a physician assistant. My mother and sisters all work in the medical field and I like that you get to work with doctors from different specialties like orthopedics, dermatology, or emergency medicine.

Photo: Bill Cardoni