Teammates Jovan Booker, Carlos Ayala power thru adversity to play in Amputee Soccer World Cup

The journey through adversity has given two amputee soccer players a chance at glory at the 2022 Amputee Soccer World Cup in Turkey.

Jovan Booker, 29, of Southold, and teammate Carlos Ayala, of Amityville, competed in Istanbul with the U.S. amputee men’s soccer team against 25 other nations in the tournament, which is organized by the World Amputee Football Federation and ends Sunday.

Booker is a below-the-knee amputee and a starting striker, or scorer, for the U.S. team. He was born and raised in Cutchogue by his late father, Joseph Booker Jr., and his grandmother, Beatriz De Jesus. Booker is a 2011 graduate of Mattituck High School and said he grew up with a love of sports instilled in him by his father, who coached his son in soccer and pushed him to pursue other sports from an early age.

“I’ve had a prosthetic right leg since I was one year old … and my dad never allowed me to think that there was anything in this world that I couldn’t accomplish with my circumstances,” Booker told Newsday before the team flew in late September to the tournament. “Everything he instilled into me as a child reflects what my life has been like to this day.” 

Booker works at the Peconic Community School in Aquebogue as a wellness facilitator for elementary school students.

In high school he played varsity basketball, winning the 2011 Class B Long Island championship with his team. He said he was scouted by the U.S. amputee soccer team when he was 17, but declined because he was uneasy about having to play on crutches instead of on his prosthetic leg.

“For somebody who’s been a below-the-knee amputee, it was kind of counterintuitive at the time. It didn’t make sense to me,” Booker said.

A steep learning curve

In 2016, Booker decided to accept the team’s invitation for a tryout in Houston, and ended up making the roster. He admitted that switching from his prosthetic to playing with crutches was “a large learning curve.” It was difficult at first, he said, but added that his coaches have helped him get to the point where it feels natural.

“For me, being someone who has done so much with my prosthetic on, it was more than just trying a new sport,” Booker said. “It was me coming out of my shell, breaking out of my comfort zone and showing the world that I’m not just capable of doing special things with my prosthetic. I’m capable of doing things with my leg off and showing my leg.” 

Ayala, 33, lost part of his right leg in a 2001 earthquake in El Salvador. He has played soccer for 23 years, including on El Salvador’s national amputee soccer team, and has been in two other World Cup tournaments. He joined the U.S. team in 2018.

Ayala told Newsday he didn’t find playing soccer as an amputee difficult. Rather, doing so helped him move past his injury, he said.

“I got used to playing soccer very quickly, and for me it was this sport that took me out of my sadness which I was in when I lost my leg, and soccer is one of my best hobbies practicing sports,” said Ayala, who works for a company that manufactures orthotic braces and prosthetics.

Ayala said he has gotten a lot of support from friends and family in El Salvador and the United States on the path to this year’s World Cup.

“For me, it is an honor to represent both countries, and from both sides I have great support and it feels gratifying to be able to be in the world tournament,” Ayala said.

Booker was part of the team that played in the 2018 Amputee Soccer World Cup tournament in Mexico. They did not advance out of the elimination stage, but Booker said he learned valuable lessons.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” he said. “Through those experiences, we felt like we were able to compete, and while we fell short, it felt like we left some meat on the bone, which motivated us this year. I needed that experience to learn, to learn the pace of the game, and feel confident in my abilities.”

Unlike many participating countries in the World Cup, the U.S. team — which is managed by the nonprofit American Amputee Soccer Association — is volunteer-driven. The Wilmington, Delaware-based association worked to raise $200,000 on its website to support Team USA on its road to the World Cup.

A place for anyone to play

Team USA advanced to the knockout rounds of the tournament after winning two matches during the group stage, but lost 6-2 to Haiti in the Round of 16 game on Wednesday, eliminating them from the tournament.

Eric Lamberg, head coach of Team USA and president of the association, told Newsday the nonprofit has 80 to 90 players across the country and that Booker and Ayala are among the best of them.

Lamberg said he hopes to eventually expand their program to introduce more young children and women who are amputees to the game, as well as eventually start an amputee soccer league next year in several regions nationwide, including New York.

“The whole goal of amputee soccer is to have a place to play for anyone who wants to play the sport,” Lamberg said.

Ayala said he scored a goal and contributed two assists on goals during the tournament as the team moved on to the knockout rounds. Ayala hopes to see amputee soccer grow further, adding that fans will be surprised to see the players’ passion.

“The most surprising thing is to see them running, leaving everything on the field and being able to score goals with one leg and play soccer,” Ayala said. “With a passion and love of soccer, and show that everything is possible in life despite not having a leg.”