Sprint for Your Life: Janrick Soriano
We are serious when we say that football runs in the blood of Kaya player Janrick Soriano. The Talisay-born player started kicking the ball at the same time he learned to run—when he was only four years old! In a family of players, with a coach for a father, once he started to kick the ball, this sealed the life he was destined to pursue. Still scoring for Kaya today, Janrick has sprinted through many life and football experiences, including Paris, so it’s time we caught up with him.
All in the Family
Fact: Janrick’s earliest childhood memory may involve a football.
For starters, his father, Janelo, was the coach of Minuluan-Talisay Football Club, and Janrick, the youngest child, still had other brothers who were just as active and sports-minded. Joining his dad during training, he had his taste of kicking (and enjoying) a football at four.
“Yung papa ko [ang nag-impuwensiya sa aking maglaro ng football]. Coach kasi yung papa ko, kaya tinuruan niya kaming maglaro ng football. Kaya noong bata pa kami, sinasama na niya kami kung saan naglalaro yung team niya,” explained Janrick.
Local culture may have been instrumental in Janrick’s upbringing and football development. With the orientation for close family ties and parental respect, he looks up to his father as an influential figure and, in this regard, considered his teaching as a golden rule. What a bonus it was—being a football coach! With in-house training and support—and brothers with similar interests—this was definitely growing up the football way.
In elementary school, he was already part of the football varsity team of Talisay South. Going back to his older brothers, Jalor (eldest) and Jalsor (middle child), not only did they play football randomly—they played different positions, turning them into a formidable family J-Team.
Since then, he’s been playing and dreaming of football.
Homeless in Paris
It was after college that he joined the Homeless World Cup in 2011. Of course, the audition was no cakewalk. Janrick had to prove that he possessed the skills to represent the Philippines in Paris.
“Kinuha lang ako ni Coach Rudy del Rosario. Noong 2010, kukunin na sana niya ako. Kaso nag-aaral pa ako, kaya noong 2011, doon na ako sumama,” narrated Janrick.
So the order was school first, football in school, Union, Under-23 Ceres-Negros, and then Paris for the Homeless World Cup. Not bad for a graduation present … er, trip!
“Sa Homeless World Cup, 24th place kami out of 69 teams,” Janrick recalled.
Here’s more: despite the tight match between the Czech Republic and the Philippines for the no. 23 ranking, Janrick, who was the captain of the Homeless World Cup team, managed to score the first two goals, both in the first half. While the outcome was in favor of the opposing team, we sure did give those Czechs something to sweat about!
After the Euro trip, Janrick joined an appropriately named club, Global FC.
At Global FC, what players have in common is their commitment and dedication to the sport. For Janrick, this was already an acquired trait—brought all the way from Talisay—with a brief stopover in Paris. All in all, if competitive was a key quality, Janrick already fit the bill.
Just a trivia, did you know that Dan Palami also invited Janrick to be part of the Under-23 National Team? He missed out on the chance to represent the country because he chose to visit his family in Bacolod. Things could have turned out differently had he joined, but according to Janrick, he has no regrets because family comes first before anything else. He will never forget who was with him from the very beginning—his family!
Clubbing Time
Prior to joining the Homeless World Cup, Janrick already had a string of clubs and experiences, from the streets to school—to probably his backyard.
“Bago pala ako maglaro sa Global naglaro pala ako sa Union nung 2009–2010,” clarified Janrick.
As mentioned in passing earlier, he also had a stint with Ceres-Negros in the Philippines under-23 national cup before joining the Homeless World Cup in 2011. He even bagged the Best Striker and MVP awards during the competition.
Speaking of Ceres, the middle child of the Soriano family, Jalsor, currently plays for the same team, while the eldest, Jalor, is with Air Force. They did say not to keep our eggs in one basket.
After a few months at Global, he moved to Pachanga around January 2012.
He finished the league, but prior to renewing his contract, he was invited by Coach Maor to try out for Kaya. Just for a day—which he did—and we all know where he found himself after.
Strike it
Last year, 2013, marked Janrick’s debut at Kaya FC. He claims to prefer the right wing, but all in all, he seems to possess qualities of a great forward, not to mention the club’s “super sub” has afforded some goals for Kaya FC.
Through all these years, if there’s a lesson that Janrick considers most significant, it would be communication. Proper and effective communication, he explains, is the only way to improve your game—both individually and collectively as a team. Spoken well by a coach’s son.
It’s been a year or so, and Janrick remains a common fixture of the team. He has become quite fond of the Kaya culture of support and camaraderie, which everyone on the team (players and coaching staff) seems to uphold. He’s made friends with fellow Western Visayan Jovin Bedic, Miguel, and Eddie.
Of course, the experience he gains from training and practice still manages to develop his game. With his commitment to the game, each day poses opportunities for new skills and learning. It would seem that open communication and organization have helped in ensuring that players, and not only Janrick, are melded into football the Kaya FC way.
Outside the team training, Janrick also makes time for his own fitness activities. He believes that it really is important to engage in sports to stay fit and competitive, and when not engaged in an “actual” sport, he will most probably be seen jogging around. He does dabble in other sports like basketball, billiards, badminton, and volleyball, so if someone were to challenge him, do consider something else … like chess. But wait, he plays chess too!
The “Kaya” Way
Janrick’s football career lists really lengthy experience across clubs and games—not to mention his childhood memoirs from back home. If he were to make a commentary on the state of football, it would probably be longer than Alex Cequea’s 34-hour speech.
Still, despite what he’s gone through, he knows the value of dreaming and hoping. Janrick grew up in a family of footballers in a small town, and with what he has accomplished in 20-something years, he has shown that every Filipino with an aspiration can get there. You just have to go on and stick to that commitment. Having an inspiration in life is also important and Janrick’s motivators are his family and Mhabs (girlfriend). They keep him going when things get tough. Evidently, family and values help a lot and build a strong foundation, but it’s the drive to get there that ultimately takes you to the goal.
Even today, Janrick is still dreaming and moving forward. Each day in football opens new potential and opportunities, and Janrick knows that going on is the only option. Apart from scoring for Kaya, his other goal is to be a part of the Azkals—and that keeps the dream alive.
Every Filipino has a choice and a dream, and if it’s football, go for it!
Janrick wanted to be successful, so he didn’t stop at his backyard. He took it all the way to the other side of the globe. If he can do it, young Pinoys can too!
All photos courtesy of Janrick Soriano.
