A friendship that grows beyond the game

The thunderstorm arrived while Albert Casillas and Caleb Rey were hiking, turning an outdoor adventure into an unexpected race for safety. Caleb was still a boy, perhaps 10 or 11, and the two were exploring a trail when the weather suddenly changed.

Eventually, Albert recalled, they realized there was only one thing to do. Run.

It remains one of the memorable experiences in a friendship that has lasted nearly eight years, taking them from hiking trails and soccer fields to the threshold of a new chapter in Caleb's life.

Caleb is now a senior at Organ Mountain High School, a football player, sprinter and club soccer athlete with ambitions that could take him to England to continue his education and play soccer.

Albert, who once helped him practice soccer drills and learn different positions, now spends more time watching Caleb compete and offering encouragement from the sidelines.

Their relationship has changed as Caleb has grown, but neither expects it to end when he graduates. The two met through Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2018, when Caleb was an elementary school student.

An only child, Caleb said he tended to keep to himself. His mother thought the program would give him an opportunity to meet people and experience new things.

Albert had been looking for a way to give back to the community. Originally from Riverside, California, he attended high school in Deming before moving to Las Cruces to study at New Mexico State University. He earned a degree in city and regional planning and geography and went to work as a county planner. A colleague who was involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters encouraged him to attend a volunteer recruitment meeting.

Albert enjoyed sports, hiking and other outdoor activities. He thought sharing those interests with a young person would be a worthwhile way to volunteer. When he was matched with Caleb, they quickly discovered something in common: soccer.

Albert had played the sport himself and enjoyed introducing Caleb to different aspects of the game. They practiced drills, played one-on-one and worked on skills for different positions. Albert helped him learn to defend, play goalkeeper and improve his overall understanding of soccer.

They also attended matches together, including a professional soccer game at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, where Caleb experienced the excitement of a large crowd. Those outings became part of a relationship that extended well beyond athletics.

Big Brothers Big Sisters matches young people with adult volunteers who provide friendship, encouragement and opportunities to experience new activities. The mentors serve as additional trusted adults in a child's life, offering a relationship that can complement those with parents, teachers and coaches.

The distinction between a coach and a Big Brother comes down to the personal connection for Caleb. Coaches have helped him develop as an athlete, but Albert has been part of his life for years, through different sports, schools and stages of growing up.

That consistency has mattered. Caleb remembers Albert helping him improve at soccer, but he also credits the relationship with helping him become more comfortable around other people.

Albert remembers a quiet boy who initially had difficulty opening up. Over the years, he has watched Caleb develop friendships, become more outgoing and find confidence through sports and other experiences.

"I would say it would help you grow as a person, help you get out of the shell, like how I did," Caleb said when asked what he would tell another young person considering the program.

Albert has experienced changes of his own. He doesn't have children, although he has several nephews, and said the relationship has helped him develop skills that carry over into his interactions with family members.

He remembers feeling nervous during their earliest outings, unsure what to do with a young boy he had only recently met. Eight years later, that uncertainty has disappeared.

Caleb's athletic pursuits now occupy much of his time. At Organ Mountain, he plays wide receiver in football and competes in track, specializing in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and relays. He also plays club soccer.

He said he finished fourth in the 200 meters at the state track meet as a junior, an accomplishment that has him looking toward his senior season with considerable ambition.

But his plans extend beyond high school athletics. Caleb has participated in a soccer trial connected with an opportunity in Leeds, England, and hopes to enroll in a university program that would allow him to pursue a degree while continuing to play.

The arrangement is not yet finalized, but he is working toward making it happen. He is interested in mechanical engineering, an ambition influenced in part by working on vehicles with his father and developing an interest in how cars and motorcycles operate.

Caleb's growing independence has meant adjusting Albert’s own role. When Caleb was younger, they could spend time practicing soccer together. Now, with school and club coaches guiding his athletic development, Albert is content to attend games and support him.

The conversations also increasingly involve decisions about Caleb's future. When Caleb began exploring the opportunity in England, Albert was kept informed about the process, including through conversations with Caleb's mother.

Even if Caleb moves overseas, they have already considered how technology could help them stay connected and allow Albert to follow his games.

Albert knows their formal involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters may change as Caleb finishes high school, but he doesn't expect the friendship to disappear.

Caleb sees Albert as someone he can continue turning to, whether he needs advice or simply wants to talk. Asked how he would describe the value of having a Big Brother, he offered an answer that had little to do with soccer, hiking or any of the other activities they have shared.

"It's just a friend, like a friend that can help you out through life," he said.

And as Caleb prepares to take the next steps toward a future that may lead him far from Las Cruces, that's a friendship he can take with him.