Mohammad Roknipour has his feet to thank for his arrival to Canyon Country. The 18-year-old was born in Tehran, where he began playing soccer at the age of five, which took him to Costa Rica and then to California.

As a teen, Mohammad moved to Costa Rica for a year to attend a private secondary school, where he played soccer for the team. He relocated to California to play for the L.A. Blues in Pacific Palisades, which is an affiliate of the Pali Blues Soccer Club.

He is living with his aunt and uncle, Deborah and Parviz Roknipour, and two cousins, Matthew and Tyler, at Robinson Ranch. Parviz is Mohammad’s agent.

“It was my brother’s dream for Mohammad to find success and happiness through sports and education,” says Parviz. “I’m just trying to help that dream become a reality for him.”

After his first day at Canyon, he was steered in the direction of the football team. “The vice principal invited me to meet the football coach after my first day at Canyon High,” Mohammad explains. “The football coach asked me if I wanted to kick the ball. I kicked my first football 60 yards. I was then invited to join Canyon’s varsity football team.”

MoMo, as his friends refer to him, will play varsity soccer next semester at Canyon. And despite a love of sports, it’s not all fun and games. “My education definitely comes first,” he says. And so far, he has found academic resources at Canyon to support that priority. “The teachers are more supportive of students learning in the United States,” he says, “and there is more assistance available to help students.”

Other aspects of America are even more diverse than his native country. For instance, Mohammad has been a part of Christian celebrations and holidays since he came to live with his relatives, because Deborah and the children are Catholic. “He seems to enjoy the Christmas holidays,” says Deborah.

Mohammad misses his family and friends in Iran, but loves living in this country. “In the U.S. there is a huge emphasis on sports, which I find great, because of my love for sports,” says the young athlete. “I plan to play football and soccer in college. After college, I hope to play on a professional team for either or both sports.”