Isaac Durborow grew up like many kids do in the state of Utah, hoping for an opportunity to play for his local soccer Club, Real Salt Lake. Durborow was originally born in Texas before being adopted in the foster care system and moving to the Beehive State. Always a fan of sports, Durborow found a home for his passion with the Special Olympics program.
Then in 2016 he lived out his dream when he tried out for the RSL Unified team and made the final cut. He would go on to become a staple of RSL Unified's roster, playing for the Claret-and-Cobalt for five years.
“It was really cool,” said Durborow. “I love playing soccer, it’s really fun.”
An avid biker, Durborow would ride his bike from his home in Orem all the way to RSL Unified practice in Sandy. An about 60 mile round trip which speaks to his commitment to his team.
“Such a dedicated player,” RSL Unified coach, Jenna Holland, said.
“Even though now he's aged out of the program, he is still gonna come help us with tryouts and be a volunteer with the team. He's always willing to come to all our community outreach events that we hold for the Unified team. He's still very much involved, even though he can't be out there on the field.”
Now in his post playing days, Durborow works at a bike shop and is a full time RSL fan. As an African-American, he feels it’s important for his Club, Real Salt Lake, to celebrate Black History Month and for people to learn about Black History.
“I like learning about Black History,” Durborow said. “I don’t like how history can repeat itself, and it’s important to me for people to learn about it because I don’t like it when people get disrespected.”
Real Salt Lake fans can learn more about Black History Month through a series of stories that have been published on the RSL website including:
Both Holland and Durborow, now in a coaching role, are now getting ready for the next RSL Unified season. If you or someone you know may be interested in joining the RSL Unified team, tryouts will be taking place at Zions Bank Training Center on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26. More details can be found here.
