Athlete Profile | Lino Cabral

Soccer
New Bedford, Mass.

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Lino Cabral was literally kicking a soccer ball before he could walk. He grew up on the playing fields of New Bedford and has returned home after a highly acclaimed college career and a stint as a professional soccer player in Portugal.

A New Bedford native, Cabral was a star player at the Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School where he is now assistant soccer coach and a math teacher. His school record of 100 goals in four years of play still has not been broken.

His college soccer career took him to Mount Ida College and Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire, where he traveled all over the country as a member of the school's elite soccer team.

Cabral hasn't lost his lighting quickness as a right midfielder/striker - and when he is not teaching or coaching, he says, "soccer is my life." He briefly played at the professional level for the Chaves club in the soccer mecca of Portugal and currently plays at the semi-pro level here with the New England Luso American Soccer Association (NELASA). In 2002 he earned the league's "player of the week" honor.

His goals:

"One of my goals has always been to be a teacher and I've now achieved that. I hope to be able to focus more on my soccer. I still haven't given up the dream of playing as a professional - anywhere in the world where that might be possible."

How Southcoast has kept him in the game:

Cabral's sudden sprints take a toll on muscles and joints as well as his opponents. Muscle tears are a part of the game and the soccer star is a constant visitor to Southcoast SPORT's athletic trainer, Joe Scott, ATC. His most serious injury was a hamstring tear, which could have kept him out of action for some time.

Southcoast's trainers and therapists have used deep tissue massage to help ease Cabral's scarred muscles and prevent further tearing. As long as soccer is part of a Cabral's life, Southcoast SPORT will be an important part of his team.

On sport:

"Sport keeps your mind more focused. It keeps you in shape in both a mental and physical sense - and both are very important. For me, soccer is a passion. It will always be a part of my life, whether it's playing myself or teaching the game to others."

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Photos by Corinna Raznikov.