Robbie Rogers 25, Comes Out and Retires from Soccer
This American soccer star who represented his country 18 times, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has announced he is gay and is retiring from the sport aged just 25.
Robbie Rogers, a Southern California native currently based in London, made the announcement via an eloquent and heartfelt entry on his blog.
Rogers rose to prominence at Columbus Crew in MLS, scoring 13 goals in over 100 appearances and earning international colors in the process.
He then moved to Leeds United, a team in the second tier of English football, on the advice of USA coach Juergen Klinsmann. Rogers struggled with injuries and, after making only nine appearances in five months on loan at Stevenage, he has decided to call it a day.
In a blog entitled ‘The Next Chapter’, Rogers wrote: ‘Things are never what they seem. My whole life I have felt different. To overcome your fears you must be strong and have faith in your purpose.
‘For the past 25 years I have been afraid to show who I really was because of fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations.
'Fear that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret.
‘Life is only complete when your loved ones know you. When they know your true feelings, when they know who and how you love. Life is simple when your secret is gone. Gone is the pain that lurks in the stomach at work, the pain from avoiding questions, and at last the pain from hiding such a deep secret.
‘Secrets can cause so much internal damage. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.
'There needs to be a feeling that there is a comfortable environment for everybody,' he said. 'We're aware through our sporting chance clinic that players who deal with such issues at the moment feel they would be targeted and the attention would no longer be on them as a footballer.
'That's a real challenge. But the game has to be up to that. If we're going to claim to be the major sport in the world, both in terms of spectators and participation, then we've got to use that to create a better example.'
Another American player, David Testo, came out after retiring from football in 2011. He also played for Columbus Crew, albeit before Rogers, later moving to Canada where he played for Vancouver and Montreal.
Comments