Two champions collided on Maxwell Street Wednesday morning – Haitian National soccer team star Frantzdy Pierrot and the Boston International Newcomers Academy (BINcA) state champion boys soccer team.
Fresh off ‘Frantzdy Pierrot Day’ in Massachusetts on Tuesday, the pro soccer forward made the rounds across eastern Massachusetts on Wednesday visiting his home high school in Melrose, being honored at the State House, and grabbing some quality time – and personal mentoring moments – with the BINcA boys and girls soccer team in Dorchester.
While the BINcA boys team won a state championship last fall, Pierrot, 31, is part of the lightning-hot Haitian National team headed for World Cup play next month – with the Haitian team playing its first World Cup game since 1974 in the Boston venue on June 13 against Scotland.
At BINcA, Pierrot was accompanied by City Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune and spoke to the young people in the library about the fact that soccer is fun, but school is essential and shouldn’t take a backseat to sports.
“We all love soccer, but what happens after soccer?” he said in Haitian Kreyol. “We may think so, but money doesn’t fall from trees.”
Haitian National soccer team star Frantzdy Pierrot walks through the halls at BINcA with Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune. Seth Daniel photo
He also shared that growing up it was hard to be able to watch World Cup games, but he did recall watching a game when Brazil beat Argentina and Ronaldo from Brazil scored three goals.
“To be honest, it was hard to watch those games, but I do remember the three-goal game for Ronaldo against Argentina,” he shared. “That was the game for me. I was a Brazil fan too, and as a fan, I hated Argentina. Growing up I did not like to see those Argentina colors. My father was an Argentina fan, so it was a battle in the house that day. My father loved (Lionel) Messi and I was a Ronaldo fan. That was the game for me.”
BINcA soccer Captain Steevenson Chanson said it was inspiring for the team to see a professional like Pierrot and to get to spend so much time with him. Many on the team are from a Haitian background and speak Kreyol, so it was inspiring to see a “hero.”
Haitian soccer player Frantzdy Pierrot does his signature goal-scoring move with BINcA student Ismael Jouissomce. Seth Daniel photo
“We were really excited to see him,” said Chanson following a meet and greet for the boys and girls soccer team in the school gym. “It was really inspiring to see him here, for real, for me, my players, and our goalie. For me to be able to meet that player, that was unexpected. Tonight, I’m going to go home and tell my family, ‘Guess who I met today?’ They will want to know everything, and I’ll tell them everything that happened. It’s just a great day for me and for our team.”
Pierrot was born in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, and moved with his family to Massachusetts at a young age, attending schools in Melrose. After graduating from Melrose High School, Pierrot played two years of collegiate soccer at Northeastern University, then transferred to play two more years at Coastal Carolina University. Though he was drafted by Colorado in the Major League Soccer (MLS) organization, he opted not to sign. Instead, he played professionally overseas in Europe and is currently under a three-year contract in Greece with AEK Athens.
Haitian National soccer team star Frantzdy Pierrot accepts an award from BINcA soccer captain Steevenson Chanson from Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune for Haitian Heritage Month. Seth Daniel photo
