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From the Pitch – "Soccer Is in My DNA"

By CHRISTIAN DUKE, Orange County SC, 04/04/18, 5:30PM EDT

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Born into the game, Christian Duke has taken the family business out west

My love for the game started when I was watching from the sideline at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.

My favorite player on the field, number 20 for the Kansas City Comets, was strong on the back line. He was my favorite player off the field, too. But instead of referring to him by number, I called him Dad. That’s when I fell in love with soccer - watching him play professionally.

Growing up, he was someone who I looked up to. He taught me everything about the game. The connection we had was a unique one, because of the many roles that he has played in my life. In addition to his own time on the field, he was my soccer coach until I was 15 years old.

There are two memories that will live with me forever that include my Dad and our connection through the game.

Whenever he scored in indoor, the team would always give him a souvenir to throw to the fans. He would always act like he was going to throw the souvenir really far into the stands, but always ended up putting it right in my lap. I would go to school the next day and show all of my friends what I got from my Dad. It was a pretty cool moment for me as a kid.

The next memory is one that I will cherish forever, because it was not only special, but sparked my dream to play professionally. Before one of his games, I was announced with my Dad and ran onto the field with him. I think I was three or four at the time. At that moment, the dream set in. Hearing my name announced over the big speaker - what a feeling. To this day, I get that feeling every time I get to step on the field.

"My favorite player on the field, number 20 for the Kansas City Comets, was strong on the back line. He was my favorite player off the field, too. But instead of referring to him by number, I called him Dad. "

Throughout my entire career, my family has been by my side every step of the way. Soccer has created a bond within my family and has kept us connected very tightly. As much as my Dad was involved in my soccer career, my Mom was just as invested and supportive. She would always write me a note and hide it somewhere in my bag whenever I had a first tryout or practice.           

Following in my Dad’s footsteps, I decided to attend the University of San Diego and play soccer for four years under coach Seamus McFadden - just like my Dad - except I was starting my own journey. Little things along the way would deepen the connection my Dad and I had through the game, like the stories coach McFadden would tell me about him.

My dad played as a defender and was always fearless. Putting his body on the line, and doing everything possible to keep the ball out of the net. One incident I had at USD was when I went up to win a header to clear the ball. I ended up winning the ball, but got crushed on the way down and broke my nose.

“Man, you remind me of the older Dukey,” Coach would say when I mimicked my dad’s tenacity. Dukey is a nickname that I picked up on the field, and coach McFadden liked to marvel at the fact that soccer was truly in my blood.

My senior year of college, another career milestone hit. I went home to Kansas City for Christmas break, and received a call from Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes, inviting me to preseason camp. I hadn’t expected that, but I was excited to continue pursuing my dream.

On that first day of preseason camp, my parents told me to go out there and do my very best. The first day was the beep test. I went out there and ran as hard as I could. Peter pulled me to the side, and said, “man, you’re fit.”

He ended up drafting me.

At that moment, my dream had come true. Everything I had wanted to do from a very young age, when I was sitting on the sideline watching my Dad play, was finally a reality. To play in front of my family and friends, at the professional level, is everything I could have asked for.

It’s our special thing.

My Dad is still involved with U.S. Soccer, and now my younger brother, Cameron, who is 17, plays with Sporting KC academy. The same club that gave me my first opportunity when I was 15. Cameron is pursuing his dream as a professional and is a consistent part of the National Team as well. It would be a really cool experience to play on the same field as him one day.

Like my story with my Dad, Cameron was always coming to my games as a little kid, watching me play, ball at his feet. I have two other siblings, Cara and Dainan. Cara played soccer in college, and Dainan played growing up, but decided to use his height versus his feet, and chose to play Division I basketball. Through and through though, we are a soccer family.

Kansas City has been amazing to me, and the club helped mold me into the player and person that I am today. KC is home, and always will be, but a piece of me longed to live in Southern California again. I fell in love with San Diego when I went to school there, and hadn’t planned on leaving the area, but chasing my dream of playing professional soccer took me back to Kansas City.

When Orange County SC came calling, my opportunity came for my career to come full circle. While it’s tough being away from my family because we are so close knit, I know they will always be supporting me.

This offseason was the hardest one of the past five seasons of playing because of the decision process. I had been fortunate enough to be at home, in KC, playing the game I love, in front of the support system I have in my family.

I had many talks with my family about the opportunities that presented themselves this offseason. To stay in KC and continue to build upon a very successful run of two years, where we reached the final in back-to-back seasons, or go somewhere else, get out of my comfort zone, and have a fresh start?

There were countless long talks, and it was incredibly hard, but at the end of the day, my family told me that whatever I decided to do, they’d back me and fly wherever they needed to, to be at the first game. It just so turns out that Orange County, being the nice place to visit that it is, quickly became a family favorite on the trip destination list. My mom joked and said she has a new vacation spot.

Speaking with Orange County in the offseason, I was really impressed with their vision and what they wanted to accomplish. Playing in one of the best venues in the league, professional soccer in Orange County is taking a turn for the better.

As a player, that’s something I want to be a part of. I want to have an impact on change.

I want to be remembered as a contributor to a club that came from having very little to having the best atmosphere. It looks all put together and beautiful now, but something that the staff set out on the table from day one is that it’s going to take a lot of hard work to be successful.

I feel like this decision I made to come to OC will give me more of a rejuvenated attitude.

With all the tangible pieces OC now has with the stadium, to create a culture and winning atmosphere, and to attract attention from the fans, the product on the field has to be high. The coaching staff and front office has done a fantastic job profiling the players and characteristics they want within this club.  This is a really good group of guys with a lot of experience within this league and elsewhere. With all this momentum and all the pieces falling into place, it’s on us to produce. We are set up for success and could make something special happen this year. The energy and buzz around OC is at an all time high!

"As a player, that’s something I want to be a part of. I want to have an impact on change."

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