Sprinting up the field, junior Joel Shungu handles the soccer ball with ease, just as he has his whole life. Scanning the opposing team, Shungu looks for an opening, anything to put the black and white object in the back of the net and propel his team to a win.
Shungu lived his entire life in Paris playing soccer since the age of four. He played for FC Mareuil Caubert and Paris Saint Germain up until he and his family decided that a move to America was the best thing for him.
“I really liked [playing] in Europe because I had a huge amount of support,” Shungu said. “[Soccer] is the thing that makes me the most happy when I get on the field.”
At about a year ahead of American schools, Shungu found that the harder French curriculum was not suited for him. After moving to Chicago for two years to better balance his life in soccer with his classes, his father decided to have Shungu moved a second time to Texas so that he could live with his cousin and two brothers. Comfortable in both school and soccer, Shungu will play as a forward for the school.
“I was doing good in soccer, but the only thing that killed me was the fact that school in France was so hard,” Shungu said. “I was more focused on soccer than I was on school.”
Shungu and his brothers will remain living by themselves in the United States despite the distance between them and the rest of their family in Paris.
“I miss my parents and my two little sisters.” Shungu said. “I don’t think they’ll ever come over because they have already made good lives in France.”
Shungu’s personal goal for the season is to score 25 goals, assisted of course by the midfielders. He believes that with practice, Legacy will make it to state this year. Also he hopes specifically that plenty of girls will come to watch him play.
“I’m looking forward to the varsity season,” Shungu said. “I hope that we get a good fan base from the school.”
