Freestyle Soccer Provides Outlet For Creative and Recreational Expression

Joseph arrived for our interview in a red NC State athletic shirt and Adidas training pants, holding his favorite freestyle soccer ball. He was comfortable talking about his story with the sport, but after we removed the microphone and allowed him to show us what freestyling means to him, within seconds, it was made abundantly clear that this was his element. For the next 15 minutes, he proceeded to move in what appeared to be an effortless rhythm, moving synchronously with the ball and keeping it off the ground for minutes at a time, using whichever body part was closest.

Joseph Aguilar was born in Costa Rica and moved often with his military father before deciding on a degree in Aerospace Engineering at NC State. His love for soccer and his desire to keep it up in any way drove him to discover freestyling during his freshman year. Dedicating hours at a time, he taught himself the fundamentals by watching other athletes’ routines on Youtube, each displaying their unique style. He later founded the Freestyle Football Club to reach out to other creative athletes and provide a community for them to get together and share their techniques.

Now in his sophomore year, Joseph commits at least an hour each day to improving his skill set and is always on the lookout for new moves. Depending on the season he can be found kicking the ball around on the soccer pitch or practicing in the indoor racquetball and basketball courts at Carmichael Gym. In short, rain or shine, the weather has no impact on his dedication.

Freestyling is more than a sport for Joseph, it is an artistic outlet. It enables him to set himself apart from the crowd and express himself in a style that is all his own. “There is no one to teach you, no one to guide you; You learn everything yourself and apply it yourself, so how you grow [as a freestyler] will be completely different from anyone else in the world.”

He explained how although most athletes start out with a vision of how they want to look, more often than not, the ball takes charge and they just have to run with it. “All freestylers have an idea in their mind of what they want to do, but once you get out there, it just builds organically, and it’s all improvised right there on the spot.” The artist’s individual style is formed from how they choose to run the moves together.

When asked to give advice for any aspiring freestylers, Joseph had this to say: “There is no one way to start it. There are no specific steps to follow. Whichever moves you feel like practicing one day, you just do it until you get it. You want to expose yourself to as much as possible, and start as soon as you can.”

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