“Honestly it’s a good experience, you get to see the different levels of soccer where here in Chicago it’s all the same,” Daniel said. “For me, I prefer playing travel soccer honestly, the best learning experiences you’ll have is against teams that are really, really good. That’s where you learn the most. Like, for example, in Spain, I remember playing a bunch of academies over there where a lot of those players maybe even made it Pro. Who knows, just like seeing the atmosphere and seeing their kind of field and what they had to play through, and just their recruitment process is just something really cool to see.”

Daniel felt like he was on top of the world playing soccer at a high level, the healthiest he had ever been – he never thought he would get injured. Yet, Daniel suffered a hip fracture halfway through his freshman campaign. 

After just one month, however, he was back on the field playing. He gives credit to his mom, Elizabeth Mendoza, for his speedy recovery, though he was thankful for all the people who checked up on him. 

But then came the biggest injury of his life – one that caused physical, mental, and spiritual pain. Daniel suffered an ACL tear in February 2025 while getting ready for his spring freshman campaign with his travel team. A lot of work needed to be done to his knee, as Daniel had a grade one partial tear with a fully torn meniscus and a fresher kneecap.

“At that moment, I was just like, ‘Damn.’ Like, it really hurt. I remember I cried for sure. I’m not gonna lie, I did cry. I cried because of the pain. I cried more because I just couldn’t believe what had happened. I was having a really good season, and just a snap of a finger, it just all went away like that,” Daniel said.

The recovery process was one of the hardest things Daniel endured in his life, and left him in his darkest times. But the one person that was always there for him – again – was his mom. 

“Everything goes through your mind at that point as a parent, but I think the first thing was, okay. He texted me. So he’s hurt to an extent. I guess the point that he’s texting me is a good, a good sign. So just, I mean, all I could think of was is he okay, so he’s fine. It’s gotta be something with his legs. Maybe it’s just a sprain or a twist, something simple that he might just need to sit down and walk it off,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth also said it is hard as a parent to see one’s child go through something so difficult. She believes injuries like the one Daniel went through were rough, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, not only on him, but the whole family.

“Seeing him from his lowest point to not being able to do what he liked the most to I mean, he did great,” Elizabeth said. “He surprised us all. He was amazing at his recovery process. I mean, it’s a thing I’ve always told him, take one day at a time and you have to bounce back little by little. Less than 24 hours between surgery, he was out there walking and putting in all his work and all his effort, because he knew he wanted to bounce back right away.” 

At the time, Elizabeth was also caring for Daniel’s younger siblings.

“So it was just a matter of juggling, having to prioritize the main things that Daniel needed, which was like the meds or the therapy or getting things to him when he wasn’t able to walk back and forth, or getting him in or out of the car. So it was rough, but if we made it work, luckily, he was old enough to kind of hold off a little,” Elizabeth said. 

Through all of this, Daniel realized there is more to life than just soccer. He found he really enjoyed fishing once he was able to move without feeling pain in his knee. He started going out with senior Alan Garcia, and the two formed a bond. 

“I’d say he’s a really hard working person. He’s always trying to look for the good in things, even when it might be hard to see. He’s always got a good attitude, and he’s a really nice person, caring and man, he’s just overall, a really great person, nice friend and someone that be good person,” Garcia said.

Daniel also started a car detailing business with his friend while still recovering from his surgery. They have been detailing cars now for six months under the name Legacy Detailing.

“Honestly, I take it as a blessing,” Daniel said. “Because, you know, I just focus so much on soccer that I just didn’t realize what I would do if I wasn’t soccer. Like, who would I be without soccer.”

Starting the business, however, came with a few setbacks.

“It was a very interesting process because, you know, I couldn’t crouch like that. I couldn’t kneel on my knees like that,” Daniel said. “So it was, in a way, hard, but I’m glad I did it with a friend that was able to, like, kneel down on their knees and stuff. But, yeah, I ended up making that, and that was one of the hobbies that I picked up.”

Daniel’s parents remain proud of Daniel and how far he has come: from a little boy to a full grown teenager juggling studies, sports and a business at such a young age.

“We thought it was a great idea that he was opening his mind to other things, from fishing to the car detailing. It really caught us by surprise, but we were we were very proud and very happy to see that he wasn’t just focused or upset about not being able to partake in soccer and finding joy in other things,” Elizabeth said.