The adjustment from high school to college is usually hard
enough as it is, but for freshman Kyle Nakazawa, there was a
greater adjustment to be made.
At the tender age of 15, Nakazawa was invited to be a member of
the U-17 residency program in Bradington, Fla.
If he were to accept the opportunity, he would be forced to move
from one coast of the country to the other ““ from the place
he called home for much of his life to an entirely new
environment.
However, for Nakazawa, the decision wasn’t nearly as
difficult as it appeared to be.
“It wasn’t really a hard decision,” the
midfielder said. “I knew immediately that I would take the
opportunity to go; I would’ve regretted it if I didn’t
go and at least give it a shot.”
THE PROGRAM: Having arrived in Florida for his
residency program, Nakazawa found himself among the top teen soccer
players in America.
“It’s an elite program for elite players,”
UCLA coach Jorge Salcedo said of the residency program.
Rather than let the magnitude of the situation get the best of
him, Nakazawa adapted to the surroundings and found himself growing
as an individual as well as a soccer player.
“It really tests you as a soccer player,” the Palos
Verdes native said. “And it kind of made me grow up also.
Just being in an environment like that where I’m away from
home, it just kind of tests you. It makes you stronger and helps
you deal with adversity that much easier.”
Whatever tests he had to endure as a soccer player in the
residency program, Nakazawa seemed to pass with flying colors,
leading the U-17 National Team to a fifth-place finish at the 2005
World Youth Championships while recording two goals and an assist
in four games.
Moreover, by the end of the year, Nakazawa found himself at the
top of his age division, leading all players in assists (13) and
games started (37 of the 38 in which his team competed), and
ranking fourth in goals scored (10).
But when the end of the World Championships drew near, Nakazawa
knew he would soon have to make his next big decision.
THE NEXT DECISION: Though Nakazawa had already
made the choice to partake in residency for two and a half years, a
greater decision was lurking.
“After our U-17 world championships last summer, I had to
make the decision of whether or not to go to college,” he
said.
For Nakazawa, it was never a matter of where he’d prefer
to attend college, as UCLA had always been at the top of his list;
it was a matter of whether he’d attend college at all.
The last time he had been in a public school was almost three
years prior, when he led Peninsula High School to the 2003 Bay
League Championship.
But as time began to pass, Nakazawa’s mind became set,
just as it had prior to attending the residency program.
“In the last couple of months I realized that college was
the best fit for me, and if I was going to go to college, it was
always going to be UCLA,” he said.
Due to the nature of his situation, Nakazawa was able to come to
Westwood last spring and join the team in its spring practices and
games leading up to the actual season.
“Kyle was with us in spring so he got a taste of
competition,” Salcedo said. “He was very excited, and I
think the reason he chose UCLA is the style of soccer we play. We
try to pass the ball and keep it on the ground, and that’s
the style he likes to play also.”
Nakazawa’s early arrival allowed him to adjust to the
speed and intensity of the college level, while also becoming
accustomed to several of his new teammates.
THE EMERGENCE: After going under the radar for
much of the beginning of the 2006 season, Nakazawa emerged on the
second day of play in the New Mexico Tournament held in
Albuquerque, N.M.
In the Bruins’ first four games of the season, Nakazawa
played his role of distributing the ball to his teammates and
setting them up with chances.
But it was during UCLA’s fifth game that his potential to
help guide the Bruins to victory truly became visible.
Trailing Oakland by one, Nakazawa equalized the game by
converting on a penalty kick and later put the Bruins ahead for
good with an assist to sophomore Sal Zizzo. But Nakazawa
wasn’t done yet, recording another assist later in the game
to seal the win for good.
“He’s been a good soldier in terms of doing what we
need to do as a team to win, but he also has an individual impact
on the field in each game,” Salcedo said.
Reflecting on the time he spent in Florida, Nakazawa realizes
how his experiences have helped him in terms of maturing as a
person and developing his skills as a soccer player.
But his return to Southern California has instilled him with
happiness ““ more than any soccer program could offer.
“Now I’m close to home and family and friends
again,” Nakazawa said. “I think I play my best soccer
when I’m happy, and I’m happiest when I’m close
to home and with family and friends.”