In 2023, just minutes after being diagnosed with leukemia, Everett Shoji looked at his parents and said three simple words:
“I’ve got this.”
At the time, neither Everett nor his family could have known exactly what lay ahead. What followed would be nearly 850 days of treatment, countless hospital visits, daily chemotherapy, physical setbacks, and challenges that would test even the strongest of individuals.
But from the very beginning, Everett’s focus never changed.
He wanted to get back on the pitch.
For Everett, football has always been more than a game.
The Oregon native has spent the last five years developing as a goalkeeper, embracing the responsibility that comes with being the final line of defense.
“Goalkeeping allows me to have my team’s trust and to be the last line of defense if all goes wrong,” Everett explains. “It challenges me as an individual both physically and mentally through the good and the bad moments.”
When leukemia interrupted his football journey, the sport became something even more important: a goal.
“Football played a very large role in my recovery,” he says. “It gave me a very important goal to work towards, getting back to the pitch.”
That goal would carry him through some of the most difficult moments of his life.
According to his father, Jeff, Everett’s treatment plan lasted two and a half years.
Over that time, the family endured more than 150 hospital visits, 45 inpatient nights, 20 spinal taps, countless blood transfusions, and daily chemotherapy treatments.
The physical toll was immense.
At one point, Everett had to relearn how to walk and rebuild motor function and strength from the ground up.
“We had to do pool therapy for almost six months before we could get back to the pitch to even begin very basic training,” Jeff recalls.
But even when progress came slowly, Everett never lost sight of where he wanted to be.
Following months of rehabilitation, he trained four to five times per week to regain his strength and confidence. His first match back lasted just five minutes.
It was enough.
From there, he continued building. He earned a place on his high school varsity team and recently achieved another significant milestone: selection to a U19 MLS NEXT squad.
For Jeff, what stands out most is not a single moment, but the consistency of Everett’s determination.
“He never lost focus, always pushing to get back onto the pitch,” he says. “His mental fortitude is unlike anything we have seen.”
In January 2026, Everett reached a milestone his family had been waiting years to celebrate: his final infusion treatment.
Shortly afterwards, another dream was about to become reality.
Through Make-A-Wish, Everett’s family planned a trip to Spain to watch Real Madrid, one of the world’s most iconic football clubs.
What Everett didn’t know was that another surprise was waiting for him.
Months earlier, Jeff had reached out through the Surf network looking for opportunities for Everett to experience football in Spain. That connection led him to IDA Valencia CEO Jordi Gómez, who worked closely with the family to create an experience that would allow Everett to train, learn, and immerse himself in Spanish football culture.
Everett had no idea.
“I realized that my dream of playing in Spain would become a reality when we got out of the Uber and I saw IDA Valencia’s sign,” he says. “It was an amazing surprise from my parents.”
Although he arrived excited, Everett admits he was also nervous.
“At first it felt slightly uncomfortable,” he says. “I was nervous about the language barrier, the expectations, and skill level. We all know Spanish football is the real deal.”
Those nerves didn’t last long.
Over the course of his stay, Everett trained alongside IDA players, worked with coaches, and experienced the demands and intensity of Spanish football firsthand.
“As I realized I fit in well and was able to hold my own, it quickly became comfortable and it started to feel like I was playing at home.”
One of the highlights of the experience came through training sessions with former LaLiga player Luis Pascual, who provided technical guidance and insights that Everett could take back with him to continue his development.
For Jeff, however, the most memorable moments came during training matches.
Before sessions began, players naturally assessed the visiting goalkeeper from Oregon.
Then Everett started making saves.
“We watched Everett have some beautiful stops, winning most of the scrimmages he played in,” Jeff says. “The players that were evaluating him were celebrating him, with coaches and players applauding his saves.”
For the Shoji family, those moments meant everything.
“These were the moments we came for.”
While the trip provided valuable football development, its impact extended far beyond the game itself.
“Everyone at IDA is now a part of our family,” Jeff says. “The generosity and sincerity from the players, coaches and administrative staff was second to none.”
For Everett, the experience reinforced a lesson he had already learned through his recovery.
“I learned that I am very determined and much stronger mentally than I thought I was before my journey,” he says. “This journey has reinforced my belief that hard work and determination will get you where you want to be.”
That message is one he now shares with other young athletes facing challenges of their own.
“Stay determined and keep a positive attitude,” he says. “There will always be challenges in life, some big, some small. Make a large goal and a lot of small goals needed to achieve that big goal.”
Everett’s story is still being written.
His long-term goal is clear: to play professional football.
Knowing the path he has already traveled, it’s hard to bet against him.
What stands out most is not simply what he has overcome, but the way he has approached every challenge along the way – with humility, gratitude, determination, and an unwavering belief that hard work can open doors.
At IDA Valencia, we were fortunate to witness one chapter of that journey.
A young goalkeeper arrived in Spain hoping to learn, grow, and challenge himself.
He left having inspired everyone around him.
And wherever football takes him next, we’ll be cheering him on.
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