BEREA, Ohio - Get to know junior forward Ryan Hassell (Southampton, Bermuda/Western Reserve Academy). This season, Hassell appeared in 13 games and earned his third varsity letter. 

How did you get started in your soccer career?

My cousins and I used to play soccer outside my house all the time. We would use two holes in the wall as one goal and shoes as the other goal. Growing up my cousins were all older than me and played for a club called Pembroke Hamilton Club and so every Saturday I'd make my mom take me to the field where they played and I would run up and down the side of the field kicking my ball. Once I kicked the ball onto the field and ran on the field to get it (I was 3 years old) and my mom got mad and called me to get off the field, but the coach told her to let me stay and I practiced with the U5 team and became a part of the program a week later.

Why did you pick your major?

I am majoring in Sport Management because I cannot imagine my life without sports. I chose to go to school for it so it never has to come to that moment when sports are no longer in my life.

If you played another sport, what would it be and why?

I always say if I was good at any other sport other than soccer, it would be basketball. I got heavily into basketball when I came to America in 2011 because all of my friends were basketball players other than the guys on my soccer team. I love the sport.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Never give up on your dreams because quitting is admitting you failed.

If you could have dinner with one professional athlete (living or dead), who would it be and why?

If I could have dinner with one professional athlete, it would be Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho is my greatest inspiration. As a kid I used to watch all his games and YouTube videos of him over and over trying to do his moves. To me he is the greatest player to ever touch a soccer ball. He mostly wore the number 10 and so that has been my jersey number on mostly every team I've ever played for.