On the road to recovery, a special place means the world to Espinoza and his fellow warriors — Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. It’s a world-class hospital, but it’s more than that: it’s a community. It’s a support system. It’s a family. Jonathan says every visit leaves him happier than when he walked through the door.
“It’s a great place,” Espinoza said. “Whenever I go to the hospital, the nurses and I play a lot of pranks on each other.”
When he goes home and doesn’t have his nurses to prank, soccer fills the void. Espinoza doesn’t even remember the first time he touched a ball. He’s played as long as he can remember, starting in the backyard with his dad. When he first joined a team, he wanted to be in goal.
“My dad used to play keeper too,” Espinoza said.
His love for the goalkeepers lives on. Though Miguel Almirón has stolen his heart, Brad Guzan also ranks right near the top of his favorite player list. But more than anything, he’s thankful for Atlanta United. When the Five Stripes came to town, his city finally had a team all the kids in Atlanta could support.
“It’s great because we get to grow up in an environment where there is soccer,” Espinoza said.
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