RRJ: When did you trust in Christ for salvation and become His follower?
I came to the United States searching for the “American Dream,” but God had different plans for me. I was seeking fame, but found faith. God actually led me to lay down my soccer career dreams, academic goals and personal relationships so he could have time in my very busy schedule and space in my overly entertained heart. He had to convict me about some idols in my life and start teaching me the difference between worldly happiness, tranquility, busyness and lust compared to His joy, peace, purpose and love. I grew up in church, had a loving family and received a private school education, but was never introduced to a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Shortly after my arrival here, I was given my first Bible and the Gospel was presented to me on campus so I could repent, believe and be born again.
RRJ: Did your faith in Christ change how you approached your sport, both as a player and now as a coach?
Definitely. God is so gracious to help us to renew our minds and change our perspectives on things so we can experience more freedom to live life. I’m still learning and I need his grace everyday to deal with pride, selfishness and game losses, but God can and does make all the difference.
He has also helped me to have more of a holistic approach to playing and coaching. Even though I still believe in and work towards excellence on successful winning seasons, I know there is much more involved than just winning games, especially in the early childhood stages.
When I play now, I am called not to do it for individual glory, but to put my neighbor before myself. As a coach, I do not want to just focus on numbers anymore, even though I am competitive and I push my players very hard. Now I have a passion to coach and encourage athletes to reach their full potential and get to their next level holistically.
At our FC Montgomery Soccer Club we seek to offer a positive and healthy environment where athletes are challenged to work really hard, but also have fun. I want them to know we care for them for who they are, not just for what they can do. We value sportsmanship and character development. We support the kids’ faith and allow for athlete-led prayer during training, and we like to pray before our home games. That being said, we welcome and respect families from all “walks of life” and faith backgrounds, and do not push our personal beliefs onto any child.
RRJ: You’re involved in doing soccer outreach camps. What exactly are those and what have you seen come from that work?
Our soccer outreach camps are done at local churches that invite us to run non-profit camps for them. It is an opportunity for churches to reach out to their communities while also bringing awareness of world missions and fund-raising opportunities. We are currently doing it through CDI Sports. We have done soccer camps for many churches in Montgomery during summer, weekends or holidays and see people from the community getting involved, loving on the kids and some even accepting Christ and joining the church.
We have also been able to raise some funds that have benefited underprivileged kids overseas. We have taken teams to Brazil and are also connected with outreach programs in Haiti, India and Uganda. These camps are great opportunities for more time and depth spiritually with the kids, since our FC Montgomery Soccer Club’s main focus is technical development and successful soccer careers. If any church would like to host one of our camps they can get more details by visiting www.communitydevelopmentinitiatives.org.
RRJ: Can you help encourage our readers by sharing what has helped you most to integrate your faith into all areas of your life?
Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and for him are all things...” is what started opening my eyes to this reality. My pastor and a teacher from college also brought to my attention the fact that God is the source of all things, including relationships, jobs and sports. I used to see church separate from those other areas of life, but I have learned that God wants to save us and be in a loving relationship with us where He is the foundation of all things.
If I believe that God created me, gave me specific gifts, a unique family, health and opportunities, I can’t help but to live it all through Him and for His Glory. I think the problem is sometimes we think we deserve what we have and it was with our own strength only that we got to where we are. We forget that life is a gift from God and He can take us “home” at anytime and close any doors He pleases.
Our families, careers and hobbies should not be just about us. This is challenging because of the demands of the market place, competitiveness of the sports’ world and distractions around us. I do fall short on doing this consistently, but I am encouraged by people like Tony Dungy, Tim Tebow and ordinary men and women who love Jesus and pick up their cross to follow Him daily, in spite of criticism and costs.
Bruno and wife Brooke recently welcomed their first child, Susana Joy (SJ for her soccer buddies). They live in Montgomery, AL.
