Meet Jorge Sandoval! Jorge recently graduated from Johnson High School and will be attending the University of North Georgia in the fall. Jorge was a part of the Johnson High School boys soccer team that just won back-to-back state championships. He also is a member of the Atlanta United Academy.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
A: “I have a pretty big family. I have six siblings; a pair of three year old twins, a boy and a girl, a younger brother that’s five, another brother that’s 14, a younger sister that’s 16 and older sister that’s 20, so I am the oldest boy. Nobody plays soccer except for me. My parents are Paola Gutierrez and Ariel Mora, my stepdad.”
Q: Please tell me a little bit about winning back to back state titles.
A: “It was the first time in school history to go back to back in different classifications. And also first time in history to have a perfect season…and then being named No. 1 in the country is pretty big. I tell the boys that it’s great what we have done, what we have started and what we have continued because I know the people in the past, they’ve started a tradition, they started a good program and we’re just adding up to that. We’re adding to that legacy and I’m blessed to be part of this program.”
Q: Please tell us about Atlanta United Academy.
A: “The academy is part of the MLS Club. It produces players to get ready for either college or to the professional levels. But you have to be selected, you have to be trialed in order to make it to this team and watched by a scout or something, or invited to the trial. It can’t just be a random just coming and joining the team or paying, you have to go try out and once you make it, everything’s covered, you don’t have to pay for anything.”
Q: After high school, is that where you go or are you going to college?
A: “I am going to college but I think I’m going to continue playing soccer and the main goal is to make it to the pros. I have gained a lot of experience and I feel like maybe just a year or two that I would need to fully develop in order to get me ready to the major leagues.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
A: “I would say the community and all the people that support me…everyone coming together and supporting one another. And even though it’s not their school, they still come and support, they still send out the message of good luck on the game…everyone’s just supporting each other.”
Q: What are some of your favorite restaurants in our community?
A: “I personally like wings, so I would say Wild Wing Cafe and Buffalo Wild Wings. My favorite flavor is Mango Habanero.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I want to do is go to a World Cup game. That’s something that everyone dreams of.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
A: “I think I would say Italy. You just think about the food, the ancient ancient buildings and just taking a picture of it… that would be great. And just being around the people there.”
Q: What’s something special you could say about your coach?
A: “He’s not just a coach, he’s someone that’s there as a friend, a father figure, someone that I could go out and talk and he would just listen. When I went through my hardest times, through my injury, it was really hard for me mentally because I had never suffered an injury like that but he was there for me. He was just always gave me advice, he always gave me words of motivation and that’s something that I’m always going to be thankful for. And with the boys, he’s always pushing them, he’s always telling us to never be satisfied… and that’s something I love.”
Q: What’s something you would rate a 10 out of 10?
A: “Pink cleats. Because it just stands out, it’s something no one wears and everyone knows it’s me when I put them on.”
Q: What are some of your favorite movies or TV shows?
A: “I would say ‘The Lion King.’”
Q: What is your go-to music or band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
A: “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail). It’s by Hillsong.”
Q: Who’s your favorite athlete of all time?
A: “I would say Cristiano Ronaldo. I’ve watched all my life his work ethic, the way he thinks, his mentality, the way he lives is he’s always determined and I’ve just really picked that up and brought that and learned from that.”
Q: How do you prepare for a big gam or the state game? What do you do before the game?
A: “I just try not to think about it too much and not be too serious, but also not play around. I just try to have fun and enjoy it because it’s all about enjoying it. You play best when you have fun and talking to my teammates and not letting them be nervous and also letting them know that we’re here to have fun.”
Q: Do you listen to music or like eat a certain thing?
A: “I eat gummy bears.”
Q: Tell us about your position and what you love about it.
A: ”I play at Midfield and I just love scoring goals. I also love creating plays, receiving the ball and just being part of it because midfield is where the ball goes through in order to go to attack. You just have to be really creative, really fast, really just think ahead and be really explosive. It’s my favorite because it’s one of the hardest positions, but I feel like it’s something that I enjoy and it’s a big challenge for me, but you always have something to learn.”
Q: How many goals did you score this year?
A: “This year, I actually don’t know. I missed a couple games because I was injured at the beginning of the season but I didn’t keep track this year. I did get top three in history for goals at Johnson High School.”
