TAYLORSVILLE, Utah- Many athletic programs work in similar ways, they produce athletic protégées. You perform on the field and are expected to pass your classes. But Salt Lake's athletic department has a program that expects outstanding effort on the court, in the classroom, and in the athletes' individual life. These few are known as Heroes and the program is known as Know Greater Heroes.  Here are their stories…

He is a son, a brother, a friend and lastly a forward for the Salt Lake Bruin's soccer team.  Junior Estrada has built a reputation for his encouraging spirit and playmaking abilities on the Bruin's soccer field.  He helped Salt Lake's soccer team with scoring the second most goals and made some incredible passes to total five assists for the season.  His selflessness on the field also carries over to the person he is off the field.  Junior's path to success has been one of much trials and tribulations.

Junior's story begins with him trying to balance his life of school, soccer, and family.  His freshman year of high school he completely failed his classes although he showed his talent on the soccer field as he played Varsity.  Junior recalls feeling, "much remorse and felt like I let my team down for my lack of effort in school."  As his sophomore year approached Junior said, "I felt a lot of pressure from the team to get my school together."  He felt that the team relied on him to be a leader but he struggled again in school with poor grades. 

This struggle created an inner conflict within himself.  On one side, he wanted to be the overall good student but he had trouble believing he was worth it.  Junior claimed, "I had a hard time finding positive role models and I felt that it wasn't until God helped me and guided me that I began to change."  He was offered the chance by his coach to play for the Real Salt Lake U-17 team.  This would mean he would have to move to Arizona. 

Junior's move to Arizona was just the right step to compel Junior to make some major life changes.  He was given a fresh start in which he confessed he used entirely to his favor.  Junior became an active student and received high grades.  He carried on his leadership on the soccer field.  Junior said, "The highlight of my soccer career was when his dad traveled to see me play in Dallas on the Real Salt Lake U-17 team."  Junior was playing against his longtime rival team and he proudly scored an unbelievable goal while his dad was in the audience.  Junior said, "It was not just the goal to me, it was the fact that my dad came to see me and I was doing well in all the areas of my life including school."   
                 
Junior struggled with being away from his family while he was at the academy in Arizona.  "I just missed my family and really comprehended the value of my family when I was so far away from them," Junior humbly admitted.   The schooling system down in Arizona was different than Utah so he wouldn't be able to graduate there.  He decided to come back to Utah to finish his Senior year of high school. 

He came back and instantly became the star of the soccer team.  Junior's admits that he fell back into some distractions.  "I put soccer, socializing, and girls before my schoolwork," which cost him poor grades again.  At this point, Junior was unsure if he could even graduate.  Junior even expressed his concerns to the principal.   The principal looked at Junior and said "you really don't think you will graduate, you can do it, you have so much potential."

This was the fire that Junior needed to push and finish school.  Junior was given 15 packets to do in only a few weeks before graduation.  Junior still had some self-doubt but he remembered Head Coach Mark Davis offering him a chance to go to SLCC on a scholarship to play soccer if he finished school. 

Junior didn't think that would be possible until it hit him in the face and he realized if he finished all the packets, he could go on and follow his dream.  He finished his packets and graduated high school.  This was an overall accomplish for him and he is grateful for everything that happened in his life. 

The irony of this is that if you met Junior you would never have thought he went through what he did, he is one of the most selfless players on the team.  He says, "It has always been for the team," and he wants to be a good role model for younger brother.  Junior places his family before everything in his life.

He is active in the Know Greater Heroes program.  Junior likes to go up to young kids and tell them they can do anything with their lives.  He loves to inspire the youth and give them positive encouragement.  As far as Junior's future goes, he says "everybody watch out the Bruins are going to be even better next year." 
    
Junior and the rest of his Bruin brothers will hit the field for a new soccer season in August of 2017. Keep an eye out for them.