MAN v FAT Soccer launched in 2024 and, after the first cohort of leagues in Florida, we have recently launched in New York with further leagues to follow in Texas in the summer.
We have a huge variety of cultures and nationalities in our leagues already, with the guys having a strong passion for soccer alongside their desire to improve their health and wellbeing.
In our Culture Club series of articles, we catch up with our Soccer members to find out about their time with MAN v FAT so far and their pride in representing their own countries and heritage in the group.
Next up is Miguel Larrosa, one of our first ever members in MAN v FAT Broward – and he tells us about his Uruguayan story.
1) Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your life away from MAN v FAT Soccer?
I’m a weird amalgamation – equal parts jock and geek! I like building computers, and also used to be a gaming streamer and content creator.
I love rewatching sitcoms like Seinfeld, The Office, and IT Crowd as well, I am also building up the courage to write some stand-up and debut at an open mic sometime soon.
2) How have you found your experience in the program so far?
I was starting to hit a plateau with only dieting, so being able to bring back soccer into my life that I hadn’t played in 20 years helped me reach a new low in weight of 277 pounds that I haven’t seen since I was 23-24 years old. It’s amazing what I can do now versus just a couple months ago.
3) What has it been like meeting men like you on the program and how has the community evolved so far?
I underestimated the value of being aligned with a group towards a unified goal.
The way your fellow club members can lift you up drives me a little harder every day to find solutions for not just myself but others to make things happen that will benefit everyone.
Special shout out to Coach Felipe who is not just a Class S trainer but one of the best people I’ve ever met.
That goes for the group too. Everyone’s class, and even when we get competitive and hard headed, we smooth it out immediately.
4) You’re representing the Uruguayan community in Broward – tell us more about the Uruguayans in Miami and their passion for football?
Uruguay is truly special, finding each other in the States is sort of like finding Unicorns sometimes (because you don’t!) but if you go to a match, or even watch one on TV, if there’s a single Uruguayan player on either team, you will find our flag in the crowd.
It’s that type of universal love to represent for each other that’s unique.
Having Suarez at Inter Miami has also been a big source of pride. Most of us here would’ve never thought we’d have a chance to watch an Uruguayan here let alone arguably the greatest striker in our country’s history.
It’s a gift that defies lottery odds that I was able to attend and see him score for Inter Miami, all because of MAN v FAT getting us some tickets. Thank you.
5) What makes Uruguayans unique, especially when it comes to sport?
It’s just 🔥 and family. You’d do anything for your family, and it feels like as long as the tactics are sound Uruguay fights to the bitter death in soccer most of all but now that hard nosed identity has found a home in Rugby as well. Even though I know next to nothing about Rugby I watched every second I could of Los Teros this past January as they upset Fiji and New Zealand in back to back games.
Even our greatest results aren’t typically a result of having the best player, but the player that’s willing to do whatever it takes to make things happen.
I hope in a tiny way I’m bringing that energy to MAN v FAT.
6) Which soccer teams do you support and how often do you get to follow the Uruguayan national team?
As I previously mentioned, we love to rep each other, so I don’t have a club outside of my dad’s club in Uruguay of Peñarol.
So instead I assume the role of super fan pseudo scout. Man U is playing? I gotta watch my boy Manu Ugarte. Spurs? Watching Bentancur.
Darwin not even dressing for Liverpool? Not watching!
And when they play each other I just hope they drop hat tricks on each other and tie!
The national team is everything to me and others. 2009-2018 feels like a fever dream of drama that I wish statisticians would analyze.
Whether it’s Forlan getting a last second pen to win at Ecuador to save the qualification, the Ghana game, the 2011 title, surviving the 2014 WC group that had three World Cup winners (the most difficult group in World Cup history?), I could go on and on. The National Team is a constant miracle of sporting defiance.
Getting the 2024 Copa America here and being able to attend the game here at Hard Rock Stadium was amazing because we all came out of the woodwork. Maybe almost 10k Uruguayans!
But?! Then I went to NY/NJ for their game at MetLife, and… all my expectations were shattered.30,000 plus Uruguayans in a single place was equal parts overwhelming and pride.
Even the weather was Uruguayan in nature (15 degrees Celsius and breezy in the middle of summer) and after the game the most endless tunnels of chanting Uruguayans. I will never forget!
Our national anthem ends with the line “Sabremos Cumplir!” As Uruguayans we have an obligation to our history to overcome the impossible.
I was 420 pounds and honestly forgot that. Embracing our culture and the challenge MAN v FAT has got me on the path to reach half that in the next months.
“Los de afuera son de palo.”
A phrase uttered by our greatest captain Obdulio Varela before the 1950 World Cup Final.
Loosely translated: The people on the outside don’t matter.
For a big guy getting back into soccer can be met with downright ridicule, but I go back to the importance of meeting a group of like minded men. As long as we push each other, have fun playing the sport we thought left us long ago, and lose weight? Los de afuera son de palo…
Also, I dream of a future where we got enough Uruguayans to represent Uruguay in a MAN v FAT World Cup.
Let’s make that happen!
A big thanks to Miguel for his time in answering these questions! You can join him at MAN v FAT Broward – or sign up for any of our other Soccer clubs – by visiting www.manvfatsoccer.com
