No, not Lionel Messi, Messi Tran.
When Messi Tran left Vietnam for Cotter, he discovered not only a whole new country as well as his passion for football. Messi is a boarding student from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is in his first year at Cotter. Excited by the wide range of extracurriculars and the chance to try sports not offered in his home country, he ended joining the Cotter football team. While he’s still new to the sport, Tran has embraced the challenge of training, competing and has also built friendships with people on and off the team.
One of the main reasons he chose Cotter was because of the extracurriculars and opportunities not available at home. “I am loving America and mostly Cotter because of how many extra curriculars they offer,” Tran said. ‘The sport and education facilities are a lot bigger than international schools in Viet Nam.”
His decision to try American Football came from a place of curiosity “I decided to play American football because it’s one of the most athletic sports where they make you train really hard, and I knew I was going to make a lot of friends there,” Tran said.
This turned out to be true. Tom, a senior boarding student from Poland and one of Tran’s closest friends, said that their friendship has been a place of support.
“My relationship with Messi is friendly, and we often help each other,” Tom said. “He is very funny and also chaotic, you can never predict what he is going to say.”
Even though Tran is still learning how to play his new sport, teammates say his impact is already being felt.
Junior Brennan Repinski, who plays alongside him, said Tran’s energy is special. “Messi is more of a role in our lives more than the team because, while he’s not our most talented player, he is happy to be there, and we are happy he’s here, too,” Repinski said, “After a bad play. He’s always there cheering and smiling, ready for the next play. He is still loved by all the players and staff.”
Messi’s favorite part of football is traveling with the team. “I love the football experience so far, especially when we go out and play against other teams and crush them,” he said. “This was the first time I ever experienced the vibe and this type of energy in my life.”
For Messi, football is about more than just the actual sport, it’s about belonging and living out opportunities that weren’t possible back for him in Vietnam. “Here, I get to be part of something bigger, and I don’t want to let anyone down.”
Whether he’s on the field, at school, or in the dorms Messi Tran has already left his mark on the team and at Cotter, and it’s just September.
