Parents sacrifice comfortable lives in California for son to learn at Barcelona's famed academy
Breeding the greats is what La Masia sets out to do
More than six million Americans live abroad, according to recent estimates, so it was not altogether unusual when the Ledermans, a family of four from California, moved to Barcelona in 2011. After all, one of them got a dream job.
For the Ledermans, though, the strange thing was not the move but the reason: The opportunity that brought them to Spain was not for Danny, the father and small-business owner, or Tammy, the mother and real estate agent.
It was for Ben, their 11-year-old son.
Two years later, Ben Lederman, 13, is still working, still spending most days (and many evenings) training at La Masia, the famed youth soccer academy run by the global soccer juggernaut Barcelona. Ben is the first US-born player invited to train at La Masia, and that distinction, while significant, means little to his overall quest: to work his way up through the Barcelona youth teams and someday, maybe, become the first American to play for Barcelona's first team.
People hear, 'Soccer, Barcelona, Spain,' and just assume it all works. But there is so much that goes into it
Could it happen? Perhaps. He has scored several memorable goals already in his career, but what has impressed most observers - including those from Barcelona - is his field vision and his seemingly advanced ability to see passing lanes and openings during the run of play. More than goals, that sort of instinctive game savvy is what scouts crave.