Between the ages of six and 13, Devlin Moyzan has kicked a soccer ball on fields that are over 7,000 miles apart.

From his first experience playing for the Towamensing Soccer Club to being selected for the Olympic Development Program (ODP), he has raised eyebrows with his talents and skills. That ability has enabled Moyzan to hone his skills in some of the biggest soccer countries in Europe.

In the last two years, Moyzan has spent several weeks practicing and playing soccer in Scotland and Spain.

One might think for a youngster from a small town like Palmerton to reach that level at such a young age, he must come from a family of soccer standouts, but that’s not the case at all.

“No one in our family and no one who influenced him in any way was a soccer player,” said his mother Becky. “We just exposed him to lots of different things when he was young. One of them was soccer when he was about six-years-old.

“He was clumsy at first, but after some good coaching at the Towamensing Soccer Club, he really improved and he’s gotten better ever since.”

Devlin’s passion for the sport has not wavered since he first kicked the round white ball.

“I just like everything about the game,” said Devlin, who is primarily a centerback - although he can play every position on the field. “I just enjoy being in the game and around the sport. I also like to watch it on TV.”

From the age of eight until this year, Devlin has played for the Lehigh Valley United travel team. This season, his 14U team won the regionals and has advanced to the upcoming state semifinals. Playing on the talented Lehigh Valley United team has helped open some doors for Moyzan.

In April of 2022, he was one of only 22 players in his age group selected from across the state of Pennsylvania to take part in a tryout at Moravian Academy. Moyzan made the cut and was picked to travel with the Olympic Development Program team to Scotland for four exhibition matches against teams from that country.

“We lost the first game, but won the next three,” Moyzan recalled. “I scored five goals and also led our team in assists during those matches.”

During his week in Scotland, Devlin not only got to play a high level of soccer, but he also enjoyed touring the country with his mom, his dad Rob and his sister Helena.

“The soccer was so much fun, but I also had a great time seeing the sights in Scotland,” Moyzan said. “We had a tour guide and learned a lot about the country. I really liked the historical architecture we saw there.”

This past April, Devlin traveled to Barcelona, Spain for another round of exhibition games with the ODP team.

“We played five games there against some teams that had a few players who were 16 and 17 years old,” said Moyzan.

The American ODP team won two, lost two, and tied one. Although he played mostly defense, Devlin still scored a pair of goals.

While in Barcelona, Devlin spent a day of training with Espanyol, a professional sports club that competes in the top tier LaLiga League in Spain. He and his family were also treated to watch a professional soccer match.

Once again, Moyzan not only took advantage of the soccer opportunity, but also took time to enjoy the biggest cities in Europe. During the week there, he noticed a big difference in the pace of life in Barcelona.

“The people are very laid back,” he said. “They’re super relaxed. They don’t seem to be in a rush to go everywhere, unlike everyone in America.”

Unlike many parents of young athletes today, his parents said they put zero pressure on Devlin and are not getting caught up with grand expectations of soccer stardom.

Right now, they are more concerned with the “fringe benefits” of playing the sport.

“We found out he has a natural talent for the game and then he took the bull by the horns by working hard to improve his game over the years,” said his mother Becky. “We are very proud of what he has accomplished playing soccer, but it’s been great that he’s made a lot of good friends playing the sport - some of them from around the world.

“Devlin still stays in touch with a 14-year-old boy from Scotland he met while playing there.”

Devlin, who is adept with both his right foot and left foot, said the best part of his game is his passing ability and he takes pride in his ability to make accurate passes to his teammates and set them up for good scoring chances.”

Moyzan also works hard off the field.

“I do cardio workouts to improve my speed and stamina,” he added.

He is also very competitive, according to his mom.

“He’s gotten his fair share of yellow cards for sure,” Becky said with a laugh regarding his competitive nature during the games.

This coming year, Moyzan will be playing for a travel team located in Quakertown, where he intends to keep working on improving all his skills.

In the fall, he will be a freshman at Palmerton Area High School, where he plans to continue playing soccer.

But Moyzan’s future soccer goals go far beyond that.

“My long range goal is play soccer in another country where everyone is passionate about the sport and the game is extremely popular.”

With already having soccer experienced in Scotland and Spain before he has entered high school, it should come as no surprise that Devlin Moyzan wants to cross the ocean again and someday play soccer on some of the biggest stages in Europe.