May 8, 2020
Player Insider: Miles Lyons
My name is Miles Lyons and I played with the U-19 DA group this past season. This has been my second year at the Barça Residency Academy. My dream has always been to play at the professional level and in order for me to accomplish that goal I knew that I had to train in a high-level environment. I played with local Tucson teams and ODP programs prior to joining Barça, but I wanted something different. I wanted to play against the best competition in the country every time I stepped on the field. In my mind that was the only way that I would be able to get to where I wanted to go. Naturally, that led me to think about going on trial with the Barça Residency Academy. I always admired the Barça style of play and how they incorporated their outside backs in the attack. With my main position being right back, I thought that playing at this academy would be a perfect opportunity for me to improve my skills. I was fortunate enough to be able to start playing with the U17 DA group for the 2018-19 season and now the U19 DA team for the 2019-20 season. With my time here at the academy, not only have I become a better soccer player, but I have become so close to the Barça staff and players that I can call them family.
I actually live and go to school in Tucson, Arizona which means that I have to drive an hour and a half to practice every day. I am very fortunate to have parents that support me when it comes to chasing my dreams. Thankfully, my dad is able to drive me up to Casa Grande for every practice because he can do his work outside of an office. My mom, being the CEO of a local company, has strict working hours but tries to make as many practices as she can. Both of my parents have never missed a home game the past couple of years. Their sacrifice and support throughout this whole journey is something that I will not take for granted. At my public high school, I have been taking multiple AP and honors classes the past couple of years. I miss a lot of my classes due to traveling for away games; this forces me to stay in constant communication with my teachers. With a demanding academic and soccer schedule I have learned to be very efficient with my time to ensure that I stay on top of everything.
Over the past two years I have missed a lot of social events because of the demanding soccer schedule. I have quickly adapted to this new lifestyle which has led me to become more committed to achieving my goals than I ever thought was possible. The combination of my work ethic and the Barça environment that I have been a part of for the past two years, has made me hungrier than ever to succeed. By playing with very talented players at the academy on a daily basis, I always felt the drive to improve every time I step on the field or else I would let myself down and my team down. With the support of my parents and Barça staff I have been able to hold myself to those high standards. There is still so much room for improvement in my game, but I am very excited to see what the future holds for me and for the Barça community.
