MARIO KHOURY: A NATIONAL PLAYER MAKING AN IMPACT
July 24, 2009
SEASIDE, Calif. – With the motto this season as “Back In Line In 2009”, senior
Mario Khoury and the 2009 Cal State Monterey Bay men’s soccer team will report to camp in less than three weeks to begin preparing for their season.
Khoury transferred from Morningside College where he led the team in goals his sophomore year. Last year, he played midfielder in 16 games for the Otters.
Khoury recently sat down to discuss his past, the team and his future.
You were born in Israel, at what age did you come to the United States and what were your first impressions?
I was born on August 3, 1988 in Nazareth, Israel, to wonderful parents of Christian minority. My father has a PhD in clinical psychology and my mother was a lawyer for 26 years. I’m the middle child; I have an older sister and a younger brother. Nazareth was fun to live in as a child but at times it got dangerous and scary as well. At age 16 my family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, where I got to experience the American culture for the first time. My first impression was that people were much nicer here and very welcoming. They accept you no matter what your personal ideas and beliefs are.
You were a member of the Israel National team, what age level? Share a memorable moment of playing with the team?
I was selected to play with the Northern Israeli Youth National Team when I was 15. Coming from a minority, being Christian, Arab, and Israeli, that was a huge accomplishment. I remember how my nanny, my brother and I used to drive 40 kilometers, about an hour drive each way, from Nazareth to Bet-Shaan, 3 times a week just to get to practice with the team. It was a great experience because I got to play with the best players in the country and met great people.
What made you decide to come to CSUMB?
After attending Morningside College and playing soccer for 2 years, getting homesick and having snow on the ground for 4 to 6 months was unpleasant. My parents were living in Monterey and I decided to start looking at schools around the Monterey area and found that CSUMB would fit me perfectly because of the diversity and the soccer program. I then contacted the coach and in fall of 2008 I started attending CSUMB and playing with their soccer team.
How do you feel about this upcoming season? What are your expectations?
I’m looking forward to our next season. Being a senior and have already played three years of competitive soccer I feel like my experience and skills are at their highest. The chemistry between the team players has improved tremendously since last season. We are expecting to do much better than previous years and hoping to win the championship. We appreciate the support of the students and fans that come out and watch our games.
What are your goals for after college?
After graduating from CSUMB I plan on going to graduate school and getting my master’s in social work. And later on getting married and having a happy family with three kids.
