Christopher Boyce: The Passion
“Wow. This weather is nasty. Do you see the snow? This is ridiculous,” said a disgruntled Christopher Boyce.
As he steers his head towards the window, and watches the snow blanket his home away from home - Queens College - Boyce, slyly erases his vexed attitude, and quickly smiles.
“You know, back in Jamaica, we never had to worry about whether it would snow or not. We never were concerned about snow days. We were more concerned about where the party was at,” said the vivacious 21 year-old. With a personality as exuberant and bubbly as a fresh bottle of Moscato, Boyce’s attitude always gleams, even through rainy days – or in this case, snowy.
Born in Jamaica, on January 5th 1989, Christopher Boyce, the youngest of four children, was always full of life and energy. “When I was younger, I was always running around as if I had an unlimited battery. I was like the energizer bunny. I kept going, and going…. you get the picture.”(Laughing)
Though Boyce dubbed himself the energizer bunny, one side that always went unnoticed, was his level of maturity. “I never was the type to follow suite. I was too hard headed. When I say that, I mean, I never followed trends. I was a leader. If someone forced me to do something, I went the opposite way.”
Even when he made his transition to the states, Chris remained steadfast on his beliefs. Early on though, his character would be tested. When he was in 3rd grade, he and a fellow classmate exchanged verbal jabs, which unfortunately escalated into a skirmish. “This dude thought he was slick because he was making fun of my mom being on field trips. So with me being me, I just said, ‘Hey, at least my mom is around to be on trips.’ That obviously pinched a nerve. That was real immature of me. I look back and regret it. I wish I could apologize to him even though it was years ago.”
After the fight, Chris’ mother began to worry about her son’s aggression. Rather than restrain his physicality, she felt it would be beneficial if he was able to exude his physical side in a more positive way. “I always had a passion for soccer. I mean, I still do of course, but, if you’re asking me to compare my passion for the game from then to now, I’d have to say I was in deep love straight from the beginning. Love at first sight.” Chris began excelling quickly with his rapid footwork, and dazzling agility which left his opponents baffled. When Chris attended Nazaerth Regional, he catapulted into stardom among his peers. “I really felt like a star. My friends and even my opponents showed me respect and admiration as if I was a star athlete. I felt like Rolandinho (star Brazilian soccer player), without the money.
And though Chris was playing at a tremendous level, once he entered Queens College, he recognized he would have to sacrifice his love, for his education. “When I came in freshman year, I was already working, and slowly adjusting to the whole college thing. Honestly, I couldn’t function properly. I knew had to make a decision that I wasn’t ready to make. I cried over and over. Inside my heart, I knew I was letting go of something that not only provided me with a sense of endearment, but more importantly, happiness. It felt just like the movies, all good things had to come to an end.
Though the sacrifice was a bitter pill to shallow, Chris was able to find happiness elsewhere. “I’ve always loved learning. I mean, just being able to gain knowledge, and understanding through different things is empowering. It’s exhilarating. That’s why the trade-off for soccer wasn’t as excruciating.”
As Chris leans back in his chair, he reaches for his portable Play station console discretely in hopes of not being caught by his Professor. “Yo man. You see this dude Rolandinho? His footwork is vicious. Just give me some time, and when this school thing is done and over with, I’ll be hopping on the first plane to Brazil. I don’t care how old this man is. He and I are going at it head to head. I will be victorious. You’ll see.”
I’m sure he wouldn’t want it any other way Chris. I’m sure he wouldn’t.
