This is the Peace: Ultrafooty Player Spotlight — Chris Bermudez

Chris Bermudez was bashful and reserved. His camera remained off leaving me no beat on his emotions, expressions, or feelings toward being quizzed by someone he’d never previously met. At moments I felt as if I may have been prying, but gradually we were brought together by the curiosity for and interest in his gravitation toward Ultrafooty and the game of soccer.

Soccer courses through Bermudez’s Columbian veins. He cited two things when I asked what led him toward picking up the sport at age five, his father and his heritage. In keeping to his South American heritage Bermudez exudes the demeanor of someone to whom the game has been good to. Everything has “family ties,” Bermudez said, and in those ties, he sees gratitude and appreciation. He took a beat so as not to rush through his love letter to the sport and in the moment of silence he found words, which I pinpointed as the exact moment he began to open up.

“This game has taken care of me, it put me where I should be.”

In the moments that Bermudez could have been off doing the wrong thing, there sat the beautiful game — in all of its glory — staring at him almost as if it were a member of his household. He looks at the game somewhere in between love and obligation, there is the realistic aspect in understanding that, for him, success takes work, but also cherishing every opportunity to play. He leans toward love — and after brief thought — he made sure to reiterate that before we continued to speak.

Like every player at Ultrafooty, Bermudez has a “next level,” or a goal. For him it is to play in the first division of his league. But Chattanooga F.C. — or beyond — isn’t the dream, and nor should it be. The dream for Bermudez is similar to that of Brazilian soccer star, Richarlison, the dream is to give back. Bermudez takes note of his surroundings, and he remains firm and loyal to his roots. He wants to make sure that he can provide for his family, community, and all of the people that support him.

At first Bermudez was slow to open up, but he blossomed in his ability to navigate my line of questioning and in my quest for inspiration I was taken back by his honesty. I asked Chris what his peace outside of the game was, I was seeking further inquisition into what makes him whole.

“Honestly, everything for me revolves around this game.”

He likes to be in tune with his mental health — he’s taught me a thing or two about my own endeavors at this point — he finds meditating to be his escape from the constant nature of the sport. However, even his affinity for meditation is for the betterment of his play. His peace outside the game is fine tuning the intricacies of the game, using things like strength and conditioning as an escape from the monotony of the sport itself.

Knowing his peace makes him easy to work with. Bermudez met Ultrafooty co-founder Dylan Evande four years ago through training sessions at the Capelli Center. Dylan chimed in with excitement at the fact that his story of meeting Chris differed slightly, in that he felt he and Chris truly got to know each other via Cedar Stars. The two shared a moment that said more of their bond and Bermudez’s connection to Ultrafooty than any words could attempt to. The thing he loves about training with Dylan and the other pros is the connectivity. As Bermudez puts it, “everything comes together, it all connects.” What makes it all work in the end is the positive energy that each of his peers brings, Chris included. As he looks forward to the next level, Chris Bermudez remains connected to his upbringing and stays closely tied to the sport in a way that many athletes can relate to.