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Altidore shares thoughts about Haiti

JozyAltidore 3 (ISIphotos.com)
 

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Jozy Altidore is beginning to blossom as a striker in the English Premier League, but it is easy to forget that he has been playing well despite dealing with the emotional toll of the earthquake disaster in Haiti.

The U.S. national team striker opened up about his thoughts on Haiti and his experiences visiting the tiny island nation in an in-depth interview with the Daily Mail.

"I always knew about how hard life was in Haiti, but I had to see it for myself to truly comprehend it. To see kids like that wake up every day with a smile on their faces, just because it's a new day, was amazing. It was astonishing to see how poor they are, yet how resilient they are. Many people would not be able to go through it every single day of their lives, with no hope of it ever ending.

I have seen ghettos – we weren't the richest growing up in New Jersey – and it was tough for my parents, but to see a baby waking up half-naked on a piece of cardboard on the street was absolutely shocking to me."

Altidore scored his first English Premier League goal in Hull's recent 2-1 victory against Manchester City in a performance that drew rave reviews. Altidore will return to action on Wednesday when Hull City takes on Blackburn at Ewood Park.

What did you think of the story? Excited to see what Altidore will do next?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Great article about Jozy from the Daily Mail. It shows what a mature person this young man is. Not only is he on a path to becoming one of America’s great soccer players; but he also has intelligence, poise and integrity. There are too many young sports stars who are terrible role models. Jozy is certainly an ideal role model for our young people. Unfortunately, he plays an unpublicized sport like soccer, so very few young people in the USA even know who he is.

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  2. I’ve always been impressed with Jozy’s maturity and this seems to have skipped it even farther forward. There is no doubt that it will benefit him throughout his life and career.

    Regarding Hull and the WC he seems to be adapting and learning how to be a big nuisance to defenders wearing them down and making them have to think (and learning to take a foul). That in combination with a composed midfielder – Cairney maintaining a little possession have made a big difference.

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  3. i agree with jozy that is is always surprising how happy a lot of the people who live in poor countries seem. I guess that just shows that money and comfort and things are not what make you happy. But i am guessing that a better standard of living gives people peace of mind, which should not be underrated either. Either way, I think Jozy has a good head on his shoulders!

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  4. really?? — the kid has 5 assists which is equal to that of rooney and anelka. only a handfull of strikers have more. he draws penalties, fouls and yellows. you want more goals — they will come. im satisfied with his point contribution and i’m certain hull is happy with his play.

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  5. I’m glad he took the trip to Haiti and saw really what some countries go through day in and day out. Maybe it made him appreciate more N.America,.. we tend to forget how lucky we are to have been born here or migrated here. In Mexico,Central America, South America, you can easily see hundreds of kids living in cardboard boxes near the train stations. I was around 8 when I first experienced that. I will definitely be taking my future kids to Guatemala,Salvador,Nicaragua, so they can one day learn how to appreciate their lifes and home country.

    Good job Jozy, and good job ives for writing this article.

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  6. It’s great because Jozy is potentially the USMNT’s next dynastic player. Also, his goal brought Hull out of the relegation zone (for the time being).

    Also, I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced beginning something great, but that pesky beginning part, always seems to take place.

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  7. Sorry, I’m gonna sound like a complainer on this one. But what’s up with all the stretched images used on the site?

    Being a graphics guy, it just begs to be fixed. Like I said, sorry, I can’t ignore ’em anymore.

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  8. Jozy seems to be developing a bit more now that he gets playing time… His rate seems to be fairly reasonable and healthy, not unlike Dempsey.

    But Freddy?

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  9. Considering Jozy was supposed to be a developing forward looking for playing time behind the likes of a promising Eddie Johnson, Santino Quaranta, Alecko Eskandarian, Mike Magee, Conor Casey, yada yada yada… probably good to be thankful he is as good and as mature as he is for his age considering all our other prospects that dwindled out…

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  10. Jozy is a great American. If only all athletes had such a world view.

    On an unrelated note Weezy starts his sentence today. Stay strong Wayne. And don’t mess with guns anymore.

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  11. “but it is easy to forget that he has been playing well despite dealing with the emotional toll of the earthquake disaster in Haiti.”

    I would argue that is one of the things that is motivating him now and will continue to motivate him. He realizes that he can bring hope and joy to Haiti through his play. I think I can guess which team the majority of Haitians will be cheering for in the World Cup.

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  12. Jozy is a great American — doesn’t forget his roots, or lose empathy for the poorest, even as he succeeds representing his family’s new country and becomes rich. May he continue to remain grounded and not turn out like the John Terrys and Adrian Mutus of the soccer world, for his sake.

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  13. We need Jozy motivated for the World Cup. Sometimes personal tragedy and other challenges – lead to great accomplishments.

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  14. A well-rounded and mature 20 year old. It’s a great thing to see for our USMNT. Jozy’s had a little bit of a tough year dealing with Davies’ incident and Haiti. Although very unfortunate, these events seem to have helped speed his maturity and understanding of his stature in the game, and maybe even more so in life. I think he’ll grow into a very strong character and hopefully be a future presence in the locker room. I can see him being a great mentor for the future talent of US soccer. Keep on truckin’ Jozy! (Doesn’t hurt that he’s straight Jersey either)

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  15. Having watched Jozy since he began his career with NYRB, it is a joy to watch him mature before our eyes. I can’t wait to see what he does next. NM

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  16. um… it’s a story, no doubt about it. But not one that has reached it’s end. I have a feeling Altidore will continue scoring, but it is far from certain. It would be sad if he got derailed by initial success.

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  17. Seeing things like that keep a player grounded, hope our Jozy keeps his feet on the ground and his head out of the clouds. Doesn’t come across as the showboat kind so I think it’s safe to say we have a true gem on our hands!

    Dreamed the US were losing 5-0 at halftime to England last night… The prophecy has spoken…

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