O’side soccer player travels to Argentina

Oceanside's Nicholas Gaitan, 14, has been playing soccer almost his entire life. Now, he is getting the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to represent the United States as the captain of a national youth soccer team traveling to Argentina next month.

Nicholas said he was very excited to learn he had been selected. “I was happy,” he said. “It's a once in a lifetime experience. Not too many kids have that opportunity.”

Nicholas began playing soccer when he was just four years old, on a weekend soccer team in Baldwin. And even though he was only seven when his family moved to Oceanside, he already knew he wanted to pursue the sport. “I wanted to get more competitive and play better,” he said.

Nicholas played with the Oceanside United Soccer Club for two years, then moved to the more competitive Blau Weiss Gottschee League in Queens. Playing for the league gave Nicholas the opportunity to travel out of state, and it also earned him greater exposure and recognition as a player. When he was 10, he received a letter from the United States Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program asking him to try out for the New York State team. He did, and made the team for the next three years.

After that, Nicholas joined the Albertson Soccer Club, which is a member of the United States Soccer Academy. In 2008, the club was one of 72 selected from across the nation to participate in the United States Soccer Federation Development Academy League. Out of those clubs, the federation scouts the top players in the country for its U.S. Youth National Soccer teams.

The federation invites top players to camps throughout the year to see how well they play. Tony Lepore, director of scouting, said the federation monitored about 120 players this year. Out of those players, 50 were invited to the federation's domestic camps. Nicholas was invited to two, and he certainly impressed the federation. “He always wants the ball,” Lepore said. “He shows up in really good spots to help the team keep the ball in possession.” Last month, Nicholas was invited to join the federation as captain of the U.S. Under-15 Boys National Team. The team leaves for Argentina on May 1. He will be in Argentina until May 11.