Bluffton University men’s soccer program will have a pair of siblings as part of the team next fall. But, only one will be taking the pitch.
David Malaquias, graduate assistant for the Beaver soccer team, will welcome his older brother, Igor Malaquias, who is transferring to Bluffton. Yes, you read that right. David, the younger of the two brothers, will be one of Igor’s coaches.
David and Igor Malaquias. Photo courtesy of David Malaquias.
The Malaquias brothers are five years apart. They are originally from Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, Brazil. David came to the states in the summer of 2008 and Igor came July 17, 2016.
Igor is currently attending Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa., which is about an eight-hour drive from Bluffton. It has considerably more students than Bluffton University, serving about 34,000 people a year. Igor is a business administration major, but when he comes in the fall he will focus his major in finances and will probably pursue a minor in accounting.
Having an older brother can be a great thing, especially when you are as close as David and Igor are.
“It is great,” said David. “He always protected me when I was younger.”
Having a good relationship with a sibling can be a wonderful thing; having a sibling that is is a best friend, as well, is even better, according to the brothers.
“Our relationship is great,” said Igor. “We are brothers, but we treat each other like best friends–always trying to do something together, helping each other when in trouble, [and] reciprocal respect even though I’m the older brother.”
The strong relationship between the brothers is beneficial not only off the soccer field, but on it, as well, with each brother driving the other to get better. Both brothers are looking forward to the opportunity to help the soccer program improve this upcoming season.
“Igor and I can always count on one another,” David said. “We are both competitive, so we always push each other.”
For some, being coached by a younger sibling might be a weird experience. However, Igor does not see it this way, in part because he already uses David as a mentor in soccer.
“No, [it won’t be weird] at all,” said Igor. “I always ask his opinion when he watches my games. His understanding of the game is very close to mine, so I like to hear his point of view and see what I have to improve. Of course I’ll have to respect his leadership inside the team, but I see this opportunity with way more pros than cons.”
David has a similar viewpoint as Igor, acknowledging that just because he is younger does not mean that he is inexperienced.
“No [It won’t be weird], because Igor knows that I have a lot of experience in college soccer, and he wants to feed off of that,” David said.
