Going Pro
As a kid, Steinwascher dreamed of being a professional soccer player. After all, he had been playing the sport practically from the moment he started to walk.
“My dad grew up in Peru (and) his family had a big background in soccer,” he says.
He found his skill in the net around 11 or 12 years old when a friend on his youth team needed heart surgery and his team needed someone to step in as goalkeeper.
While holding onto his soccer dreams, he decided he wanted to become an accountant. “I always thought I’d do something with numbers and math because I enjoy numbers and math, but at the same time, I knew I wanted to be the best soccer player I could be,” he says.
He earned a soccer scholarship to the University of Detroit Mercy, where he earned his accounting degree and trained with Detroit City FC, in 2012, before playing for the Michigan Bucks until 2015.
In 2016, he came back to Detroit City as their keeper.
“I was trying to play pro, but didn’t get any looks,” he explains. “It was two weeks before they played, they were looking for a goalkeeper and I was in the right place at the right time. I had always followed Detroit City and thought it was a great opportunity.”
Today, with a little bit of flexibility from both Detroit City and his employer, he’s a full-time professional soccer player.
“It’s a dream come true,” Steinwascher adds. “My journey to get here has been kind of unique. I don’t think you see too many people going into a career and trying to get back into (a sport) post-college, but just knowing how hard I’ve worked to get here is very rewarding. I love being a part of the environment and getting to go to work every day and getting to kick a soccer ball.”
