To say Tyler Blackwood has been playing soccer since he was born would hardly be an exaggeration.
Blackwood, now the captain of the University of Tampa Men’s Soccer team, has lived and breathed soccer as long as he can remember. “I had a ball at my feet since I could walk. I started playing competitively at age seven, though,” Blackwood said.
Growing up in London, England, Blackwood was surrounded by soccer (or football, as they say in every other country aside from the U.S.). Widely known for the Premier League and iconic teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, England is a hub for fanatics of the sport. One might also say that it is the most ideal place to learn how to play the game.
Despite his advantageous circumstances, the road for Blackwood was hardly an easy one. At the age of 18, “things just didn’t work out,” he said, and Blackwood was without a team to play for.
Many days and nights passed where Blackwood barely had time to touch a soccer ball. Instead, he was working the late shift at a pub mixing drinks behind the bar. The furthest thing from his mind was the game he loved. His dreams of ever playing again slowly began to fade from the picture.
Knowing his son was down on his luck, Blackwood’s father decided to take him to America and tour schools so that his son could have a chance to play soccer once again.
While visiting his great aunt and uncle in the small town of Lutz, Fla., the Blackwoods decided to visit the University of Tampa and schedule a tryout for him. Little did UT know that they would soon be getting the dynamic Blackwood, a young talent who would go on to become Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Player of the Year as well as SSC Offensive Player of the Year then go onto assume the role as captain of the team.
On that day, everything changed. Blackwood began developing a fervency for soccer again. He fell in love with UT, changed his perspective dramatically and most importantly rekindled his passion for soccer. If you asked him why all of this happened, Blackwood could sum it up in two words: “My father.”
To Blackwood, his father is more than a mentor. He’s a “godlike figure” in his life. “If it weren’t for his support I would still be serving up mojitos behind the bar. Everything I do, I do for him,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood will graduate from UT come spring, but the game he loves dearly will not fade from his life again. After college, Blackwood’s main goal is to reach the MLS (Major League Soccer) and play professionally. His planned summer with minor league team Orlando City will be a huge stepping stone on the way to reaching professional status.
For Blackwood, the main thing that matters is having a successful season at UT. The Spartans have a promising team this year and will need their captain to be at his best in order to lead them to yet another successful season.
Sometimes, life doesn’t always go according to plan. In fact, it hardly ever goes exactly the way we choose. If you ask Tyler Blackwood, though, he’ll tell you that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin.guinta@theminaretonline.com.